Equilibrium
by miraclebutterfly
Summary: The summoning of the Gods has come and gone. The gathering of the stars is at hand. The balance of the book relies on an unlikely pair who can bring final equilibrium. Sounds a lot like saving the world—a pointless task when everything looks just fine.
1. The Beginning of the End

_Equilibrium: a state of rest or balance due to the equal action of opposing forces._

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* * *

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_Compare birth with death, compare death with life; _

_compare what is possible with what is not possible _

_and compare what is not possible with what is possible; _

_because there is, there is not, and because there is not, there is._

**-Chuang Tzu**

**Chapter One: The Beginning of the End**

The streets of the small Japanese city were busting about with people that all had somewhere to go and somewhere to be—and they appeared to be quite in a hurry to get there. Except on this particular day everyone, despite their hurry, took the time to spread the fresh gossip. The lately abandoned home was to be occupied by an American doctor, Doctor Eiji Okayame, and his family. It was said that Doctor Okayame had actually been raised in this town but had gone to America to study abroad and had fallen in love with a Wild West journalist. Yet do to the recent departure of his mother, the family had come to attend the service—home sick he soon after decided to pick up his family and return home, to spend time with the remains of his family who he hadn't seen since he left for school.

Most gossip was embellished specks of truth that had been rubbed raw to be able to glint and shimmer—trick the eye to make something mundane appear exciting. Yet, unlike most gossip this was in fact true. To prove the whispers, in front of the abandoned house was a moving truck—a rather large obstacle that was causing traffic to be redirected, much to the annoyance of other commuters.

It was at about this time that a shinning, brand new, black Mercedes pulled up into the drive way. The man that came out of the car wasn't exactly screaming doctor, yet then again if he did he would have emerged in his white coat which wouldn't have been exactly typical. Rather disappointed most people continued on their way until Doctor Okayame opened the passenger door. Out of it came a woman with such pale skin that it seemed she hadn't seen the sun once in her life, upon her face were many freckles and peeking out from under her large black hat were wisps of fiery red-orange hair. This was the foreign, wild west woman that they had been eagerly waiting to see. She certainly looked out of place as she waved to the movers and then slipped into the house out of sight. She was such a distraction that the people who got out of the car after her were almost missed.

Two girls emerged from either side of the car—thankfully they had their father's tanned skin but they also seemed to have their mother's freckles across their nose and cheeks. Their hair on the other hand was a mixture. It was a deep red, so dark that in the shade it could be mistaken for a dark shade of brown. The sibling traits were impossible to miss yet when they were standing side by side at the same height that people realized they must be quite close to the same age. It wasn't until one got closer to see their faces that what was brushed off as sibling similarities could now be identified as identical traits. They stood in front of the large towering house with contemplation, looking quite out of place but in a much more subtle way.

The only visible physical distinction between them, besides clothing, was the fact that one of the girl's eyes was rimmed in red. Sniffling, the girl slid her hand into her sisters, intertwining their slender fingers.

"Naoko, what on earth are you doing?" The other girl asked not looking at her crying sister. Her tone seemed to be hesitating out of the uncommon gesture but slight irritation resided in her voice as well.

Using her free hand Naoko raised her hand to wipe at her eyes lightly, "Nyoko…please just hold my hand a little bit longer."

Nyoko sighed impatiently, yet despite her tone she made no move to remove her hand from her sisters, "Oh Nai, it's not that bad."

"It _is_ that bad!" Naoko said firmly—her voice wasn't as soft as her sisters and despite the crying it seemed she was used to changing her mood quickly unlike her docile sister. "How can you be so calm about all this?!" Naoko said dramatically sweeping her arm towards 'this' meaning the house and living in Japan.

Now Nyoko used her free hand to run her hand through her hair, "I guess I just handle change better?" She offered lightly looking at the foreign country they had only recently started to visit—meeting people whose names they heard frequently but faces they never saw.

"Change?" Naoko mimicked bitterly. "This is a bit more than _change_. This is a complete upheaval!" Again Naoko's voice was more dramatic, "We're in a new country for crying out loud Nie! We don't even _speak_ Japanese! And what about all our friends?! What about senior year, graduating from _our_ high school? What about college?"

Chuckling quietly Nyoko answered calmly, "Think of it as an adventure, besides there are easy solutions to those problems. We'll learn Japanese—being around so many people who already know the language should make it easier. There are people here too, if you haven't noticed, and I'm sure that you're bound to be friends with one of them. There's still school, and we'll still have a senior year, unless you ignored when Father explained all of that to us."

"Let's just go inside." Naoko said in defeat releasing her sister's hand and moving towards the house. Right inside was already a littering of shoes and farther on in was the disarray of moving—boxes and random pieces of furniture.

"Girls! Girls!" Their over dramatic Mother said waving at them frantically. "Leave your shoes there. Put those ones on, and then hurry up in here. I have lots of boxes for you to take to your rooms."

"I can't take my shoes to my room? Why not?!" Naoko said in exasperation. She had decided early on after the announcement of the move to make it as hard for her parents as possible—to somehow force the feelings of what they were doing to her onto them. It had put her on rather thin ice with their patience. "What is the point of all these rules anyways?!"

A hand fell on Naoko's shoulder and her dark chestnut eyes looked up to see her father looking at her pointedly, "Just follow the customs dear…we've already gone over all of this." His tone showed that he was tired, the flight here had been long, and by his expression she could tell that he was not in the mood for her complaints.

Nyoko smirked coming to Naoko's rescue like she so often did, "Come on Nai—if you don't hurry up I'll be picking my room first." This of course got Naoko to move quickly to follow her sister. Taking one box each the girls climbed a flight of stairs to find the pair of rooms connected by a bathroom. "See we get our own rooms now. Positive thoughts." Nyoko winked.

Naoko just grumbled as she left the box in her designated room, to the right, to head back down the stairs for the next box. This process was repeated in respected silence for the next hour or two before both girls collapsed onto Nyoko's mattress lying on the floor.

"Now what?" Naoko asked blinking as she stared up at the ceiling.

Nyoko laughed, "What do you mean? We lay here—I'm exhausted."

"I thought you were the one who said this should be an adventure?"

"I did?"

"You did."

"Damn."

"Yep, so I reiterate my previous statement—now what?" Naoko asked sitting up on her elbows allowing her long hair to cascade over one shoulder.

Using one hand to hold her head up Nyoko looked at her sister, "We could just walk around outside…"

"That sounds rather boring." Naoko said giving a disappointed look, "That's the best you can do?"

Narrowing her eyes playfully Nyoko responded, "Oh sorry, my adventure isn't good enough for you? Perhaps since you so desperately want to get away you should read one of the millions of books we brought with."

Naoko opened her mouth to give a reply but then stopped and paused glancing at the few boxes that were falling apart—the boxes weren't meant to hold the weight of the books within them. "That's actually not a bad idea. I mean sounds lame but why not? I could go for that old fairy tale one."

"You mean the red one? The book that had all the twisted, dark, and original fairy tales and that Dad read to us every night?" Nyoko asked her own interest peeked now.

Grinning Naoko nodded her head, "We haven't read that in _forever._ I wonder how long it will take us to find it."

"Well there is a reason God made two of us." Nyoko chuckled with a wink pushing herself up off the mattress and walking towards the boxes of books. "Whoever finds it first get's to pick the first story." Nyoko declared in a competitive but smooth voice. Laughing Naoko dove for the nearest box to her, not bothering to walk towards it, and began to shuffle through all the books.

Half an hour later six, rather large, boxes were discarded on the other side of the room and about the floor were littered all the books. Both girls looked perplexed and irritated, "Where on earth could it be?" Nyoko finally asked aloud.

"I know we packed it…" Naoko tagged on sighing at the pile of books.

"Let's ask mom. Maybe she put it with her journalism things." Nyoko offered standing up and stretching the kinks out of her back from being hunched over.

"Good idea." Naoko said, already out the door and calling, in that typical teenage fashion, "Mom!" It echoed across the house quite loudly compared to their old one.

"What?" Their Mother answered, unwrapping trinkets from newspaper, on the couch. She didn't bother to look up at her seventeen year old daughters and didn't need to as Naoko continued.

"Do you know where that old red fairy tale book went?" Naoko asked looking for the box labeled _'Mom's things—Do Not Touch'._

"It wasn't in one of your boxes?"

"No." both girls answered.

"We thought it might have ended up with your things by accident." Nyoko suggested picking up one of the heavier boxes with the large bold writing. Disregarding the words on the box both girls opened it and began to shift through the things inside.

The ruffling of papers caused their Mother's attention to be directed towards them, "Hey! I said don't touch that stuff! It's all filed!" She yelled putting down her old task and rushing to the box. It is _not _in this stuff."

"Well how do you know if you don't look?" Naoko asked her hands on her hips.

Glaring their Mother replied, "Because I barely have enough room in these boxes for my own work things let alone your _fiction_ books." It was something that rifted the daughters against their Mother. They both loved writing and reading…it was just on completely different genres.

"Do you think Dad has it then?" Nyoko sighed, clearly getting frustrated with how long such a small task should take. She was also attempting to avoid another blowout.

"I have no idea where your fairy tales came from and I don't know where they went. Frankly I don't care. I have a lot more important things to get done." Their Mother answered putting the box back with the others.

"Well what are we supposed to do then?!" Naoko asked back bitterly.

Sitting back on the couch and folding her legs in their Mother continued to unwrap trinkets again. Absent mindedly she waved them off saying, "Go look for it at the library or something."

With disbelieving expressions on both girl's faces Nyoko asked, "Where even _is_ the library?"

"A couple blocks away…you two can walk can't you?"

Clearly it was a rhetorical question. "Want to go to the library?" Nyoko asked clearly unenthused.

Disappointed Naoko looked towards the door, "Oh why not…maybe they have translated stories. Better check now to save time later." With that the two girls walked back into the entry way to put on shoes and head out to the streets of the foreign country they were now calling home.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Why are so many people staring…?" Naoko whispered uneasily while on their walk.

"Well red hair doesn't seem to be common…so that's my guess." Nyoko replied looking at the people about her who mostly possessed black hair like their Father. "We're also speaking English…we probably look weird _and _sound weird. Even so, it is rather unnerving the way they keep staring at us." She tagged on quietly. Nyoko had never been one to have attention drawn to her—usually Naoko did that all by herself.

"Is the library much farther?" Naoko asked glancing around at the crowd of people and trying to read the building names despite not knowing Japanese.

"It…shouldn't be. But what do I know? I've never been there either." Nyoko commented.

"Oh please. You have like a sixth sense for these kind of things." Naoko said rolling her eyes.

"You're referring to the camping trip last year when I lead us both back to camp after being lost in the woods aren't you?"

"Ya."

"I knew what direction we came from. This is completely different, I don't know the direction of the library so I have no idea if we're even going the right way. I can tell you though that we're going North."

"I don't see how it's not the same thing."

"Of course you don't."

"What is that supposed to mean?!"

"Nothing."

"Nie!"

"Oh look!" Nyoko said pointing across the street.

Naoko rolled her eyes, "Don't you think you're a little old to be using that tactic. I mean please, I'm not going to just let you off the hook so you can try to get my attention on something else."

"No, we're actually here." Nyoko laughed lightly.

Now glancing in the direction of where Nyoko had pointed Naoko looked skeptical. "How do you know? That sign is some weird symbol…for all you know it could mean fire."

"See the windows?" Nyoko asked sighing.

"Ya?"

"See the books _in_ the windows."

"Oooh."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"What's the use of a library if you can't read any of the books?" Naoko asked bitterly pulling books out randomly to then replace them in a hurried manner at seeing the Kanji symbols.

"Nai, were in Japan—were you expecting everyone to read English?" Nyoko asked sighing not bothering to look at the books but vainly trying to put the books back to their original place as Naoko shuffled them.

"As a matter of fact yes, I was thinking they would have some English books too."

"I'm sure they have a couple…"

"Really? Cause I'm not finding them. Are you? Hey! You're not even looking!"

"I'm trying to fix the mess you're making, now stop it and be quiet we're still in a library you know."

Rolling her eyes at her sister Naoko glanced towards the back of the library. "I bet they're in the back."

"No harm in looking I suppose." Nyoko said putting back the last book and leading the way. She headed to the last row of books before Naoko grabbed her arm to stop her. "What? I thought you said we should look here?" Nyoko asked irritated.

"No, I mean back there." Naoko said pointing to a door. "It makes sense don't you think? They wouldn't keep the English books out if no one reads them."

Nyoko looked at the foreign sign on the door, "I'm not so sure Nai…"

"Well I am." Naoko said confidently pulling the two of them towards the door. Just as she was about to reach for the door knob it opened. Startled both girls let out a small shriek of surprise and clung to each other.

On the other side of the door a girl—about their age was standing with an, incredibly hot, man. She was dressed in the school uniform that both girls recognized to be identical to the ones now hanging in their closet.

She then said, in Japanese so that neither of them understood, _"Oh! Haha, hello. We-uh…we weren't doing anything."_

"_Way to sound suspicious Miaka."_ The man sighed rolling his eyes.

"What are they saying?" Naoko asked her eyes still wide with shock and slight confusion as she glanced at the two.

A third person joined them then. She too was in a school uniform but her hair was blonde—which was a shock to both girls. _"Miaka they're speaking English. They can't understand us. Did you find the book?"_ she asked.

"I…have no idea." Nyoko said blinking in surprise. "She's acting like we're not even here." She said this with annoyance.

At this comment the blonde turned to face them. "Sorry. My name is Yui. You are?"

"You know English?!" Nyoko said in shock and her face turned light pink. This was incredibly embarrassing.

"Some of us actually pay attention in school, so yes." Yui chuckled. It looked as if the comment was directed for the brunette but apparently it went unnoticed.

"_Yui, it's not here…how could it just up and disappear?"_ Miaka asked worriedly.

Naoko, who seemed oblivious to the conversation said, "Wow Nie. If all guys look like that here, maybe moving wasn't so bad after all."

"Naoko, shh." Nyoko said clearly flustered.

Yui chuckled at the girl's comment uneasily then replied to Miaka, _"We're going to have to find it. Are you sure it's not at your house? I mean you could easily have left it there and just overlooked it. It's not that big of a book…"_

"_It's not at my house!"_ Miaka said stubbornly glaring at her friend, meanwhile the twins looked back and forth between the two confused.

"_Don't worry Miaka. It'll turn up. Besides…the book had all four priestesses. What harm could it do?" _The man asked smiling reassuringly and kissing the top of Miaka's head.

"So…what were you two going to do in the restricted section?" Yui asked turning her attention away from the couple as if uncomfortable.

"Restricted? Oh…we didn't know. We're sorry. We're trying to see if there's a section with any books in English. Preferably not research ones." Nyoko said laughing uneasily.

"I can't say that there are many…" Yui said though now seemed in thought. "I'm pretty sure there are some over in the corner." Yui said pointing across the building. "The advance English classes sometimes have to read the stories. I'm afraid they're not novel lengths though…" Yui said.

"Oh well…thank you for your help." Nyoko said taking Naoko by the arm and trying to walk in the offered direction as quickly as she could. In the background the three could be heard talking again as they walked as if to leave the library. "That…was embarrassing. I hope we don't see them at school." Nyoko sighed now safe within in the 'English Department.'

"Why not?" Naoko asked scanning the titles of the books quickly. "That guy was cute. He might have cute friends too." Naoko grinned. "Hey I think one of these books was put in the wrong section." Naoko announced pulling out a small book. She looked annoyed as if she hadn't been just reorganizing books a minute ago.

Sighing Nyoko took the small red-brown leathered book from her. The kanji were in gold. She opened the first page to see a few lines and then flipped through the book to reveal blank pages. "Who needed an entire book just to write on the first page?"

"Really? I wonder what it says? I bet it must be pretty good if it only needed one page." Naoko said now glancing over at the book too.

Tilting her head to the side, a habit Nyoko had when thinking, she said, "We could translate it…it would give us something to do." She offered the idea with a nonchalant shrug.

Looking at the other books Naoko nodded, "Sounds better than reading some of these…I mean these aren't even the good books." She laughed before taking the leather book from her sister. "Now we just need to find a translation book…"

"I bet it's in this section…that girl said this was where students usually read English books." Nyoko offered scanning the shelves. She then grinned seeing some at the bottom. "This should do." Nyoko said pulling out a small, but extremely thick, translation book out. "Now we just need to rent it out…"

"We don't have library cards." Naoko suddenly said with a frown, the excitement that was previously on her face now gone.

"Oh yah." Nyoko agreed.

"We…could borrow them?" Naoko suggested in question format.

"You want to steal them?!" Nyoko hissed.

Shaking her head Naoko replied, "It's not like we won't bring it back…"

Nyoko looked as if she were going to disagree but stopped herself. "Fine…but we have to bring them back first thing tomorrow!" She said nodding her head as if to confirm this for both of them. "Just put it in your bag…" she whispered sliding both books into the book bag Naoko had thankfully brought.

"At least they don't have those detector things like they do at home." Naoko grinned mischievously clearly enjoying this new idea.

"Don't be so sure yet…we could get caught other ways…" Nyoko, always the cautious one, offered. "Let's just get out of here though…" And with that, the twins talked nonchalantly about not being able to find anything—just in case someone was listening—before slipping out the door, undetected.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

At home the two went up to their new rooms, not even coming across their parents, but by the sound of it the two were in the back of the house putting together their Father's office. "Find some paper…I'll get a pen…" Nyoko said as she began to dig through some boxes of old school supplies.

"Be right back." Naoko grinned before dashing out of the room.

"Don't take Mom's stuff!" Nyoko called after her sister but knew it was too late anyway. Naoko didn't take long to return and by then Nyoko had found a working pen, scribble marks now edged on the side of the box from where she had tested them out.

"Let's lay on the mattress. It's more comfortable." Naoko offered though then helped herself to collapsing upon her sister's bed. As Nyoko lay beside her she looked questioningly at the book, "It looks really old…reminds me of the fairy tale one we couldn't find."

"That's what I was thinking…it almost looks like a journal of sorts too." Nyoko offered opening the translation book and scanning the Kanji slowly. "This might take awhile…" She sighed seeing the complexity of the designs.

"Here give it to me." Naoko smirked taking the book from her sister and now scanning, "You were always the better with names and I was better with faces."

Confused at her sister's comment Nyoko chuckled, "What?"

"These symbols are like faces…I'll probably find the matches faster than you will…see!" Naoko said this triumphantly placing a finger next to the word and it's matching kanji.

"Wow…" Nyoko said impressed. She then scribbled down the word onto her paper. Thirty minutes later both girls looked at what Nyoko had scrawled onto the page. _Universe of the Four Gods_. "That's an interesting title…but, did we grab some religious book?"

"Sounds like it, but it's way too short for that." Naoko said shaking her head.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because there is no way that someone can only write one page about their beliefs…I mean look at the _Bible_!"

"True."

Both girl's laughed at this, and with a new found interest began to decode the first page. It was a slow process but Naoko seemed to be catching on the farther that they went. "Girls!" Came the shout of the their Mother from down stairs. "Come down for dinner!"

"Wow…we spent all afternoon doing this…" Nyoko chuckled.

"Ugh, and we finally finished! I want to read it!" Naoko said exasperated.

"Just leave it. Dinner won't take long anyway." Nyoko reassured her jumping up from the bed and heading downstairs.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"We're not going to be eating rice every night are we?" Naoko sighed as the two girls trudged up back from dinner.

Nyoko laughed, "I doubt it but rice is popular here…so I guess it's possible."

"There is only so much rice I can eat." Naoko said holding her hand to her stomach.

"At least it's better than the Chinese take-out at home." Nyoko laughed. "And now…we finally get to read all of our hard work!" She grinned before sitting on the mattress and picking up the paper she had scribbled on.

"What's it say?" Naoko asked eagerly.

"Well early when I was writing it down it sounded like it was the beginning of a story but I was paying more attention to you than I was what we were writing so…"

"Nei, ha-ha, just read it."

" Okay, okay. This is the story of those who gathered the stars in the sky, and acquired the power to make every wish come true. The story itself is an incantation. Whoever finishes the book shall receive this power. As soon as the page is turned, the story will become truth and begin..."

"What?!" Naoko said exasperated. "That's it?!" She sighed and looked at the book they had just spent the last couple of hours translating. "I mean…you can't have a cliffhanger beginning—not to mention some crazy idea about the book coming true."

Nyoko laughed, "Maybe that's why it's blank—it's impossible."

"Ya I guess so…" Naoko sighed picking up the book and looking at the foreign kanji. "Wouldn't that be cool though Nei? I mean…_that_ would be a real adventure." Forlornly she turned the page, thinking she would be looking at the blank pages of what could have been an amazing novel. Instead, the world erupted with simultaneous light and darkness.

The room fell back to normal, now empty of any presence. The book lay open and the words began to scrawl themselves onto the blank page…thus the story _of the beginning of the end_ began to unfold.

* * *

Hello there! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I know that many things need to be answered and that it probably seemed to take forever for the girls to even get to the book. Don't worry though you did not read in vain! There were many things that needed to happen to set up the story and where the girls came from will become rather important when relating to how they experience and react once inside the book.

I'm sure that right now it appears like many of the other fanfictions you have read on this site. How could it not? After all so far all that has happened is they were sucked into the book! The similarities should end there though. I have worked hard composing a plot that is original and took extra time to make sure I could answer all the questions for the changes I'm going to present--for example as to why the girls are twins and American.

I hope that you enjoyed the beginning and that you will read the next chapter--which actually gets into the plot of the story. Thank you so much for reading! **Please** review, I am looking for _constructive criticism_ and _feedback_ so that I can make sure that the story is interesting and fun for you and everyone else to read.

-Miracle

* * *


	2. It's only for a Little While

Hello everyone! I realized I made a terrible mistake on the first chapter and didn't put a disclaimer. So I'm putting it in here now.

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yugi belongs to Yuu Watase and I make no claims to profit or take credit for her characters or world. This was written purely for the entertainment of myself and others. The only things that belong to me are the the original characters (you'll recognize them) and deviations from the plot that I came up with on my own. Any and all references to other works belong to their respected owners and I am not taking credit for them. (example: Wizard of Oz alusion.) Any other similarities between plot and characters is sheer coincidence and unintentional.

* * *

**Chapter Two: It's only for a Little While**

The ground beneath them was gone, that was a fact they could feel, yet a hard one to prove. First, because they weren't falling, that would be the appropriate response after having something yanked out from under them. Two, because neither of them could open their eyes to actually look and see if the ground was beneath them, this was due to an intense light. The light was balanced by a comforting darkness as if neither could truly claim ownership of the area, leaving both girls suspended in what could only be described as a half lit purgatory. About them was a soft wind that couldn't be described as warm or cold just a presence. Quiet whispers were about them but in a tone so even and delicate that gender of the voice and the words it spoke could not be deciphered.

This sensation—that was actually quite nauseating for one of the two—came to an end so quickly that it was hard to recall if it had ever happened in the first place. As everything became, as what could only be described as, real again they released the breath they didn't know they were previously holding. Their next intake of breath was an overwhelming scent of flowers. It was as if they had suddenly walked in to an overly full greenhouse. Confused by this new information, that their sense of smell was telling them, both girl started blinking their eyes, adjusting to the surroundings.

They could feel the wind was playing lightly with their hair—which was impossible because they hadn't even set up the fan in their room yet. What they actually saw was earth shattering. About them was a mirage of brilliant, vibrant flowers of nearly every color imaginable. The flowers grew in the ground, on lush bushes, entwined on the vines, and some even draped down off the strands of leaves on the trees. The area was so dense with the foliage that the sky had been blocked out and only starbursts of light rained down through the gaps casting an odd balance of light and shadow about them.

While Nyoko remained speechless Naoko spoke up, shattering the silence, "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Japan anymore." She grinned at her sister and the cheesy movie reference that was probably best saved for later.

Nyoko's astonished eyes were now riveted at her sister and away from the drastic change in scenery, "Is that all you have to say?!" Her tone was quiet, as if speaking too loud might disturb the odd tranquility that resided there. She then hissed, "Nai, you're quoting ridiculous movies when the world just went up and disappeared!"

Laughing, and apparently not feeling the same apprehension as her sister Naoko replied, "Nei whatever happened to being able to handle change?" Her chestnut eyes then went away from her sister and back to her surroundings, "It's rather pretty don't you think?"

"Nai this is completely different! We _moved_ to Japan. We took a plane remember? You can find it on a _map_. I have no idea _where_ we are and I have no idea _how_ we got here!" Nyoko gushed her eyes frantically looking around at the scenery. Seeing that her sister was enjoying the sights and clearly no longer capable of being called sane she grabbed her arm and pulled on it slightly, "Naoko pay attention!"

"I am-" Naoko began to say but either she didn't finish out of her own free will or Nyoko just didn't hear her because she began speaking again.

"There has got to be a rational explanation for this. I mean…It's just…How?" Nyoko rambled breathlessly.

"Nie…?" Naoko began cautiously.

"What?!"

"Do you hear yourself?"

"If you're going to tell me to calm down-"

"No, that's not what I meant."

"Then what?!"

"You're not speaking English…but I…I understand you."

Both girls fell into silence at this and reflected back on the hectic conversation they had just had. Certainly they weren't speaking English, that much was obvious but how they knew the language or how they understood it was a complete mystery.

"Is it Japanese?" Naoko asked.

Nyoko shook her head, "No, this sounds a lot like it though…" She trailed off then gave her sister an odd look, "I think it's Chinese. Why on earth would we be speaking Chinese?"

"Oh Nie, come on. How many times do I have to tell you? Don't say _why on earth_ say _why the hell_." Naoko sighed shaking her head at the repeated lesson.

"Naoko! This is no time for that." Nyoko said quickly looking around them again as if expecting to be whisked away again. "Okay, okay…maybe we're asleep."

"Don't be ridiculous. It's not late and I know we didn't fall asleep sitting up…"

"Well then what's your explanation?"

The bickering twins were interrupted as someone said in a cooing voice, "Hello?" Looking with curiosity towards the voice the girls saw a toddler—which explained the childish voice. It was a boy and he was wearing the oddest clothes, but he was cute nonetheless with those huge, warm, and inviting brown eyes.

"H-Hello…" Nyoko managed out standing up now. "Are you supposed to be here all by yourself?" she asked concerned looking for the parent of the child.

The best way to describe it was to say that one minute there was three of them in the foliage and the next there were four—though how he got there could not be explained. This new addition was a man, a much taller man than the girls. His skin was darkly sun kissed, his hair was a startling resemblance to their Mother's, and his eyes were hazel. He too of course was dressed in odd garb though his looked less formal than the boys. Despite how easily it was to look at the man, it was not his dashing good looks that caught their attention but the angry look he gave them.

"Don'cha dare lay one a those lil fingers on him, ya hear?!" The man practically growled out.

"Talk about needing grammar school." Naoko chuckled standing up beside her sister. She then looked to the man and replied with annoyance, "Relax, we thought he was lost." She then paused. "But you sure don't look like you're family resemblance. Nie? I don't know if we should just let him walk off with a little kid."

Nyoko nodded her head, the only indication that she was listening, before replying, "What was he doing here by himself anyways? If you were a good parent you wouldn't just let a child as young as him wander off." She chided the other man

Nyoko's attention was distracted by the boy tugging on the black long sleeve of her shirt. "Miaka come too?" He asked in broken childish words. Nyoko could only look at him in confusion to the words.

The man seemed to notice this action too, and for the first time seemed to actually scan them over. After this a hand smacked to his face in what was plain to see as aggravation, "Suzaku ya gotta be kiddin' me."

"Excuse me?!" Nyoko said in confusion and slight alarm at the man's words, that to her sounded crazy. Her hand now instinctively rested on the back of the boy's head pulling him closer to her side despite the fact that he had his arms raised to be picked up.

"Maybe our new implant Chinese translation thing has some bugs in it. What the hell does Suzaku mean?" Naoko asked in a whisper to her sister. If anyone had heard her comment they pretended not to.

"Yer clothes. No one wears t'at shit here. Only time I ever seen anythin' like it was wit' Miaka. Can't b'lieve he noticed t'at 'fore I did." The man said running a hand through his orange-red hair.

Naoko shared a look with her sister that seemed to show they were truly starting to debate the sanity of the man before them, "Our clothes?" Naoko asked with laughter. "You're the one wearing…" She scrunched her face at his outfit and made a wave at him with her hand, "Whatever that is."

"Hey!" The man yelled clearly insulted but Nyoko interrupted him.

"Hey Nai wasn't that the name of that girl at the library today?" Nyoko asked curiously.

"Huh?" Naoko asked in confusion.

"Those people, they gave us directions to the English department."

"Oh you mean those girls with the cute guy?!"

"Ha-ha, ya them."

The man looked impatiently at the girls who were talking back and forth and apparently were getting lost in their own conversation, "Yet not talkin' 'bout Tamahome are ya?" He sighed aggravated apparently recognizing the people they were discussing.

"Oh!" Nyoko said delighted. "If you know them then this should be simple." She smiled happily, and obviously relieved, "We live close to that library so if you could just give us directions to where that is…" Her words trailed off by the man's apologetic expression.

"What?" Naoko asked aloud what her sister would not.

"Er…" The man looked like he was at a loss for words and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "How do I explain t'is…"

They were interrupted by a man, clothed in what appeared to be similar foreign clothing, approaching them. Damn, where did all these people come from? "Tasuki-sama her Highness is awaiting you and her son for dinner."

Both girl's eyebrows shot up in question but before it could be answered _Tasuki_ answered him, "Ya, we'll be on our way…set up two more plates will ya?" With a nod the man looked from the two girls then back to Tasuki before walking off with questioning eyes before disappearing.

"Highness?" Naoko chuckled. What a strange, deluded, renaissance little town they must have stumbled into.

Tasuki sighed with what looked like loss as his mind racked for an idea, "Chichiri's better wit' stuff like t'is…" Again he sighed before looking at the identical twins, "I'll explain at dinner 'kay? We're already late."

Neither of the two girls seemed like they wanted to wait for answers but really didn't have a better alternative. "Alright." Nyoko answered holding the young boy's hand as she followed Tasuki, with Naoko right by her side.

It was clear to see that after they had walked a ways that what they had previously been in was some type of elaborate garden. The architecture could now be seen, it was elaborate and beautiful. "Nai…doesn't this sort of remind you-"

Naoko picked up in the middle of the sentence, "Of the architecture in those pictures about ancient China from history class last year?"

Nyoko nodded her head, "So…this is Ancient China? I guess that confirms that we're speaking Chinese…" Nyoko whispered, "But this still doesn't make sense." Naoko nodded her head in agreement.

"You two have a bad habit wit' t'at ya know?" Tasuki said glancing back at them.

"What?" Naoko asked perplexed.

Tasuki chuckled, "When ya talk ta each other. Ya get wrapped up in yer own world and forget ta rest of us is listenin." Both girls seemed to flush pink at this but neither made a comment to contradict or confirm it. Luckily their minds were shifted to something new. The soft scent of food was wafting in the wind it was enough to make one's mouth water.

"That smells amazing." Nyoko smiled now clearly being able to identify which of the many buildings they were heading to.

"Best cooks in all a Konan." Tasuki grinned. When he did this his eye tooth poked out and it seemed to be especially elongated. It was surprisingly rather cute.

"Konan…?" Nyoko questioned just as they reached the door.

"Jus' let Chichiri explain it 'kay?" Tasuki said shaking his head as he opened the door. The room had a high ceiling and everything was adorned in red and gold. It was deep, rich toned colors. This surprised the girls, when they had pictured 'Ancient China' they figured it would appear…ancient. Their thoughts were then turned to a low table and about it were large, black cased, pillows, obviously meant for seating. The long table was adorned in elaborate china that looked far too fancy to actually be eating off of. Yet the larger dishes were all filled with food, _lots_ of food.

At the head of the table was a beautiful woman, she looked as if she was painted there like one of the Geisha's they had once read about. The only startling thing about her was the fact that her hair was a shade of _purple_. The young woman's eyes glanced the two over in shocked curiosity, "Tasuki-sama? Where in Suzaku's name-?!" She began before being distracted as the young boy, who had previously been clinging to Nyoko, dashed to the woman calling her mother. This should have been expected, the man—who now obviously could be identified as a servant—had said that was who was waiting, yet she was so young!

It took a moment to break their eyes away from her and notice the only other occupant in the room. He was extremely peculiar to see. He too was tall, though shorter than Tasuki and he wore more common clothes with beads around his neck. Compared to Tasuki his skin was paler and his body seemed to be thinner. His face was impossible to decipher for a type of paper smiling mask had been put in its place. His hair was in a style that looked like it would have been impossible to recreate at home—not to mention it was _blue_.

Tasuki seemed to ignore the woman's words and immediately directed his attention to the male occupant, "I found 'em in the garden while I was playin' wit' Boushin." He then glanced at the twins behind them, "They're uh…dressed like Miaka…sort of." He trailed off.

The man with the mask was looking directly at them, which was a little unnerving considering they didn't understand how he could possibly see through the mask. It was a mask, right? It was difficult to tell the way it formed with all the contours of his face.

Naoko seemed unconcerned with the silence and chose to direct her attention to the elaborate, and what she could only guess were expensive, decorations. They obviously were things she would probably only find in a museum at home. Nyoko on the other hand began to fidget slightly, growing uncomfortable under the heavy scrutiny. Finally, growing tired of fiddling with her fingers she rested her hands by her side and looked the other occupants in the room at eye level. "We're truly sorry if we've done something wrong. Coming here was a shock and completely accidental. We're not trying to cause trouble or upset anyone—we don't even know where we are. All we want is to go home, so please. Please just tell us how we can do so, so that we don't have to waste anymore of your time." Her tone had been soft, sincere, and the way it had been said so quietly showed her lack of self confidence to speak up in their presence.

Even after Nyoko's explanation all they received in return were anxious and worried glances. It caused Nyoko to bite her bottom lip—another terrible habit she had never been able to break. Finally, someone spoke, but it was not to them. It was the woman at the head of the table, she turned to the masked man and said, "Chichiri-sama I thought this was impossible." Every word that she said was in a regal and confident tone, opposite of what Nyoko's had been, yet even with the confidence concern seemed to lace its way onto her words.

"It should be." The blue haired man answered in such a lulling voice it could only be described as the feeling of velvet.

Naoko seemed to be growing impatient, her mental inventory list having drawn to a conclusion, "Well are you going to answer my sister? Or perhaps we should just continue to stand here while you talk amongst yourselves."

"Look whose talkin." Tasuki said barking a laugh causing both girls to flush a light pink.

Finally the masked man spoke to them, "Forgive our rude behavior." He did sound rather genuine about it but the seriousness in his tone did not lessen up, "We are just as surprised to see you as you are to even be here." He then paused, it was the action as if something had just occurred to him and he chuckled softly to himself, "Again, our apologies…we haven't even been properly introduced."

From here the woman seemed to take over, "Yes, I deeply apologize—where has our etiquette gone?" She smiled sweetly at them and while Naoko was unconvinced Nyoko managed a small smile in return. "You may call me Houki-sama, I am the current Empress of Konan. This here is my son—Boushin."

The man with the mask spoke again, "I am Suzaku Seishi Chichiri and my friend is another Suzaku Seishi-"

"You'll call me Genrou." The red head added on so quickly that it flowed with Chichiri's sentence almost as one.

Blinking confused Naoko looked at 'Genrou' and asked, "I thought your name was Tasuki? That's what everyone's been calling you."

"An' I said _you_ will call me Genrou." He replied, anger clear in his tone. Naoko scowled at him wondering why he was so angry in the first place. After all it was just a name! Seeing her face he elaborated, "Ya don't get ta call me that name. Yer not her!" Seeing his slip he repeated, "Yer not _them._"

Jumping into her stunned sister's rescue, like always, Nyoko said, "It's a pleasure." She said this calmly and with a smile pretending as if the man hadn't been shouting just moments before. "My name is Nyoko Okayame and this is my twin sister Naoko."

Now Genrou glanced between the two of them and scoffed, "I take it Nai an' Nei are jus' nicknames then?"

"Not for _you_ to use." Naoko snapped back glowering at him. '_Take that!_' Naoko thought smugly. Two people could play his childish game.

"Nai!" Nyoko whispered scolding her sister's harsh words. She should have expected as much. Naoko had always been especially touchy when she thought people were putting her down. It was much harder for her it seemed to turn a blind eye to useless comments. '_Really._' Nyoko thought with a sigh, '_Why does she care what his name is anyways?_'

Chichiri spoke after the odd banter, "Don't worry…" He reassured Nyoko who seemed mortified by her sister's behavior. His voice had turned soft, warm, and mostly pleasant. "Naoko-sama, Nyoko-sama, please take a seat. There's no need for you two to stand there so uncomfortably."

"Please help yourself to the food as well." Houki-sama added with a smile gesturing towards the table and the food that had still been untouched. Nyoko turned to her sister as if wondering if she was going to listen or not. Naoko took that as a sign to lead the way, she placed herself directly across the table from Chichiri, an empty pillow separating her from Houki and on her other side Nyoko joined her. Naoko seemed much more confident now, paying attention to those around her and meeting their gazes at eye level. Unfortunately Nyoko did quite the opposite, taking this opportunity to find the china in front of her absolutely fascinating.

Genrou finally shook his head at both the girls and looked at everyone around the table, "Well let's eat 'fore t'is food is cold." He grumbled now helping himself to a plate of what was on the table. Slowly the others began to follow his lead—except the twins.

Their lack of eating seemed to trouble them and Nyoko could practically feel them eyeing her and her sister in confusion. This of course made Nyoko feel like she had to explain, "We actually just had dinner…thank you though."

"Yer _not_ hungry?" Genrou asked skeptically. Both girls looked at him in confusion so Houki saved her partner from having to answer.

"We're sorry for staring…it's just…the priestess…" Houki began hesitantly glancing at the men in the room for signs to stop.

Instead it was Naoko who spoke, confusion clear on her face, "The what?"

"The Suzaku no Miko Miaka is the only person we've met from your world. You're-" Houki said only to be interrupted again.

"Nothin' like her." Genrou finished bitterly. Despite his rude comment he didn't meet the gazes now directed at him. Instead he focused pointedly on the food before him. Nyoko could practically see daggers in Naoko's eyes and thankfully Houki continued before Naoko could put any action to her anger.

Houki sighed helplessly, "Unlike you she was _always_ hungry." When she spoke of the Miko her voice was happier—as if she were reflecting on someone of importance. "So for us your presence is strange. Not to mention we have no idea why you're here."

Nyoko seemed to ignore most of the conversation and instead repeated incredulously, "_Our_ world." Her voice was calm and even but it was easy to see that she was shocked, "You're telling me that we're in a completely different _world._"

Seeing her sister's distress and trying to hide her own Naoko tried to find the optimism and speak it aloud, "If she is from our world and came here, and was at the library today, it means that she got back home. So there's a way, how do we do it?"

Again silence met their question. Chichiri now answered it, his voice hesitant, "It's true that Miaka-sama went home…but it was after she completed her duties as the Suzaku no Miko."

Nyoko looked slightly agitated, a trait Naoko recognized from her sister to be from not understanding. Nyoko was always the type of girl who grew frustrated if she missed something, or couldn't understand while she usually just brushed it off easily. Nyoko confirmed this with her question, "You keep saying that. _The Suzaku no Miko._ But what is that anyway?"

"She is the Miko of Konan. Every country has one at some point. The Miko comes at the country's greatest hour of need—gathers her celestial warriors and then summons the country's sacred god, in our case, Suzaku. She is then granted three wishes." Houki explained.

Naoko visibly paled and whispered to her sister, "Nie…that sounds an _awfully_ lot like the beginning of that book."

Nyoko shook her head in denial at this idea, "That's absurd Nai. That's a fairy tale…there's no way we're in a _book_. That's simply impossible." She whispered back. Despite Nyoko's strong view of the idea Naoko didn't look convinced.

"So, this Miaka person-" Naoko began only to be cut off by an angry Genrou again.

"Suzaku no Miko to you. Or Miaka-sama." Genrou growled again. It seemed it was impossible for the man to say anything pleasant or respectful yet when Naoko looked at Chichiri he too looked uncomfortable with the lack of title.

Sighing heavily Naoko began again trying to remind herself not to offend them again, "So, she came here to be your priestess. If you have one already why are _we_ here?"

"You did mention other countries." Nyoko chimed in looking at Houki, "Does that mean we're one of their priestesses?" Nyoko clearly didn't look comfortable with the idea.

"That's why we don't understand." Chichiri whispered. "All four countries have already had their priestess."

"Wow…small world." Nyoko whispered to Naoko now trying to count just how many countries there were at home.

Naoko seemed to miss her comment and then said quite angrily, "Why then?!" She glanced at the people at the table with glaring eyes, "Why are we here?!"

"Nai…they just said that they didn't know." Nyoko sighed.

Naoko slammed a fist onto the table startling all the occupants in the room, "That's not good enough! What are we supposed to do?! Can we even get home? Are we _stuck_ here?!"

Chichiri was eyeing the girl cautiously—how they knew this with his mask on was hard to explain. Yet he did answer her, "There's someone we can ask." It was a reassurance.

"Thank god!" Naoko sighed in relief. When Chichiri didn't move to do anything, she looked at him angrily again, "Well why are you just sitting there?! Let's go ask."

Chichiri answered simply, "It's far away."

Clearly this wasn't a good answer, "Okay so it's a long drive. Whatever. We can take turns driving if that makes you feel better."

"Nai…I don't think they have cars here…" Nyoko sighed shaking her head.

"Okay. Then call her."

"Nai…"

Finally Naoko seemed to give up. Damn past—who ever knew a phone could be so useful? Nyoko frowned sadly for her sister it was clear now that she hadn't been worried before because she hadn't been able to grasp the fact that they might be stuck here.

Seeing the expressions on the twin's faces Chichiri tried to comfort them, "I will take you there though…we can leave the day after tomorrow." His voice was much more cheerful now.

If Naoko had heard him she pretended not to. He did however get a thankful smile from the other, "Thank you, it means a lot." Nyoko smiled.

"Aw hell, I aint sendin' ya alone." Genrou said smirking at Chichiri, "I'll go with ya." He sighed now looking at his empty plate.

Houki smiled, "It's settled then. I'll have someone show you to your rooms, and begin the preparations for your travels."

"Oh Houki-sama that's incredibly kind but-" Nyoko began.

"None sense." Houki laughed lightly. "Where else do you have to go?" She asked an eyebrow raised quizzically.

Nyoko flushed pink again, "Thank you again for your hospitality." Her chestnut eyes were once again cast down at the table. It was then that Naoko yawned.

"Mmm, Nie I think that plane ride is finally starting to get to me." Naoko muttered rubbing at her eyes childishly.

It was incredible to remember. Yesterday they had left on a plane and hadn't landed till morning. They then drove for so many hours just to unload—it must have been their excitement that kept them up long enough to actually go to the library and translate that book. Yet then again, Naoko was always the first one to sleep and she was rather bitter when she didn't get it—which was a hard thing not to do. The girl slept like a rock and it was next to impossible to find a place she _wouldn't_ sleep.

Houki giggled behind her hand but then called to a man standing against the wall. When he moved towards them Nyoko's eyes widened incredibly. How had she missed the servants in the room? "Please escort these girls to a pair of bedrooms. They'll be staying the night with us." Houki smiled.

"Hai, my lady." The male servant responded—he too was dressed like the one that had fetched Genrou for dinner. The only way to notice that it wasn't the same man was that his hair was a dark ashen brown instead of black.

Naoko and Nyoko stood to follow him, saying goodbye and thank you one more time before heading out the door. Everyone else had remained silent. The man leading them seemed to bring the silence with him. He said not one word as he navigated himself around the maze of outdoor corridors and scenic views while the twins seemed to be fascinated with everything they saw.

Naoko took the time to whisper to her sister, "This is weird, don't you think?"

"Nai, what has happened today that _isn't_ weird?" Nyoko sighed distracted by the flowers that were growing in one of the courtyards they were passing.

"True. But I mean…servants? An Empress? Then there are all those gods and only _four_ countries?" Naoko whispered even quieter now, afraid the man might be listening.

Nyoko bit her bottom lip and shrugged helplessly saying, "Pretend he's a bellhop?" Naoko glared at her sister and was apparently not satisfied with this answer. Sighing, for what seemed like the millionth time that day Nyoko added, "I agree. It's weird, and I really don't understand any of it at all. But who cares?" She said with a shrug. It was unlike her to use that phrase, but she knew it would make Naoko feel better. Besides it was hard trying to contemplate what was happening by herself, trying to add Naoko's questions would be too much to handle. So instead she continued reassuringly, "We're leaving the day after tomorrow and hopefully then whoever we're going to see will tell us how we can get home."

"How can you be so sure they'll help us? What if we're stuck here?" Naoko asked the genuine concern melting into her eyes.

Nyoko answered confidently, for her sister's sake, "We just have to have faith. It's all we can count on right now."

The servant stopped in front of a door that seemed like just all the others they had walked by. "These are your rooms." He answered gesturing with his hand to the two doors.

"Thank you." Both girls said in unison which caused Naoko to giggle and Nyoko to roll her eyes. Naoko always seemed to have an odd pleasure when they said things at the same time—probably because for her it was entertainment while Nyoko found it unnerving.

The servant glanced at them nervously, "Is there anything else you need?" Even though he had asked it didn't look as if he wanted to come back.

"No." Nyoko assured him shaking her head. After her answer he was quick to walk away. In only a matter of minutes he was gone from sight.

"I guess we get our own rooms still, even in a new world." Naoko said trying to be light hearted. She yawned again, it was clear to see she was exhausted.

"I suppose so." Nyoko said trying to be encouraging. "Goodnight Nai." She said opening the door to her room.

"Good night Nie." Naoko replied. Both girls then went into their separate rooms, neither able to truly express that they didn't really want to be alone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning Nyoko rubbed at her eyes—she was still exhausted. Sleep had eluded her almost all of the night and even after she had been able to finally drift off she had been restless. Now it was morning, and she could feel the effects it was having on her. "God, Nai I had the weirdest dream…" She muttered and opened her eyes. Yet, Naoko was not in their room; in fact _she_ wasn't in her room. The Chinese tapestries and decorations, not to mention all of the deep shades of red, were enough of a confirmation for her. So it was real—they had been brought to another world. Nyoko sat up and contemplated this idea, how had they gotten here? Naoko believed it was through the book…but that was impossible, right? Well, so was being transported to other worlds and yet here she was.

"So…how real can anything actually be?" Nyoko mused to herself running her fingers through her hair in an attempt to fix the disarray it had obtained through the night. '_We're in a book…so are they all just characters?_' Nyoko couldn't explain why but the thought deeply depressed her. '_No…this is real…maybe the book is just a medium?_' Yes, she liked that idea much better.

Pulling herself out of the overly elaborate bed, she looked to the door in the back of the room. Thankfully, as she had thought, there was a bathroom there. Yet her high hopes for a shower were vanquished when she saw the tub sitting in the center—no faucet connected to it. "Oh dear…they really are primitive." Nyoko sighed. '_We can't really be stuck here…can we?_'

To interrupt her thoughts there was a knock on the door. Cautiously Nyoko moved and opened it slightly so that only her face peeked out. Outside stood a small girl. She could only be around ten. Her dark brown hair was done in cute braids pulled back into a high bun. A few of the shorter strands fell in her face and into eyes that were so dark brown that they rivaled the twins. "Good morning Lady Okayame!" She said cheerfully. How had the girl obtained her name? "I was told to check and see if you would like a bath and when to serve breakfast."

Nyoko had to blink a few times before she remembered that it was a palace they were in and that ten year old servants were probably common. "Ummm…I was hoping to take a bath, but…" She trailed off nervously looking at the lithe frame of the girl—was she actually supposed to carry water to a tub for her? The idea made Nyoko uncomfortable.

"Of course!" The girl beamed in a cheerful manner. How could a servant be so happy? "I believe water is being warmed for you as we speak. I thought you might want a bath after your…trip." She finished with a lopsided smile. She then seemed to have remembered something and held up her hands where folded clothes rested. "Also these are for you. I'm sorry they're more like men's clothes," The girl paused, obviously just now noticing Nyoko's pants. Quickly shaking off the weird expression she continued, "But Houki-sama thought it would be best for traveling."

"Oh, thank you." Nyoko said taking the clothes from the girl. She could see another outfit at the girl's feet. "Those…are for Naoko right?" She asked nervously.

"Yes, yes they are." The girl smiled again.

Nervously Nyoko glanced to the door next to hers. She couldn't let the poor thing actually take on her monster of a sister in the morning. "I should probably take those, she's not going to be up for awhile, and trust me…you don't want to wake her up." The girl didn't look like she believed her but still picked up the clothes and handed them to Nyoko anyway.

"Alright." She smiled again, damn could she stop? She turned as if to leave but then stopped and turned back around, "Oh! I almost forgot. When would you like breakfast?"

Thinking rapidly for a moment Nyoko finally answered, "Could I just have some fruit? You can leave it in my room if I'm in the bath…"

"Okay." She replied cheerfully, "Someone will be coming with your water shortly." With that the girl practically skipped off not even leaving Nyoko time to say thank you.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

True to her word someone had come with the water and while she was in the bath someone had even left the requested fruit. Yet now Nyoko stood in front of the elongated mirror staring questioningly at the outfit. Sure everyone had worn the odd attire, so it shouldn't be shocking that jeans weren't part of the outfit. Yet that didn't change how weird she felt in the clothes. At least it was form fitting so it didn't feel huge and baggy. Nyoko tugged at its sleeves. The outfit was a long black shirt, and matching black pants. Across the shirt was an elaborate red design of a bird. "I wonder what it means…" Nyoko wondered aloud her fingers trailing the embroidery. Her eyes then shifted to the floor where a simple pair of flats rested, they too were black, "Well, the shoes are cute." Nyoko chuckled. She then began to expertly run her fingers through her hair braiding it as she went. In the end, her dark red hair fell across one shoulder in a side braid. Unfortunately for the life of her, her bangs just wouldn't go into the braid and therefore stubbornly fell in her face. With a huff, she gave up and looked about her room. What was she supposed to do all day?

Her gaze fell on the door. She knew she should wait until Naoko was up—who knew how she would handle waking up still in this crazy ancient world? What on earth would she say when she saw the bathtub? The thought made her giggle. She should definitely wait, and yet despite what she told herself she had already stood and was heading out the door.

Outside she moved to lean against the balcony staring out into one of the many numerous gardens that littered the palace. It made her smile, sure this world sure was strange and completely out dated, but it was beautiful. Nyoko sighed in contentment—the air was so fresh here! It was just like the time when her family had gone camping up in the mountains…well camping meant renting a cabin. Her Mother couldn't stand the outdoors and had complained through the whole trip. Despite that she had rather enjoyed the trip. A slight smile of amusement rested on her lips at the thought.

Movement to her right caught her attention. The orange hair was a rather large indicator to who it was that was approaching. She was rather surprised to see him walking down the path of their rooms. Surely he knew where they had been taken and from his behavior the day before…they were not welcome by him. The surprise must have been evident on her face because his facial expression changed once he saw it—it was softer, the scowl she had become accustomed to seeing there was no longer present.

Instead of continuing on his way he stopped and leaned forward on the railing beside her. He glanced at her once then looked back out at the flowers like she was. From what Nyoko could tell he was struggling to say something. She decided to speak first, buying him some time and trying to be friendly. "Good morning Genrou."

The man didn't turn to look at her this time but did reply, "Mornin'…" He made no move to continue.

Nyoko blinked in confusion but shrugged and glanced back out at the scenery. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence but Nyoko had far too many questions to allow it to remain that way, "You know…Konan is beautiful." She smiled softly and then added hurriedly, "It is Konan right?" She asked nervously biting her bottom lip. That would be highly embarrassing—messing up the name of the country she was in.

Genrou chuckled at her. He shook his head, a smile on his face, "Ya, it's Konan." Finally he turned to look at her and Nyoko realized just how hazel his eyes really were. She hadn't realized how close they were standing to one another. Was this how it always was? Maybe 'personal space' hadn't been thought of yet. "I'm sorry I yelled at ya."

Nyoko's eyebrows rose in surprise. "I'm sure you had good reason."

Now Genrou was the one looking at her in confusion. "Why would ya say t'at?"

"Well, Miaka…I mean Miaka-sama." Nyoko quickly fixed her error—these titles were going to be the death of her! "She was obviously important. I mean…I don't think I understand…what exactly a priestess is…or…" Nyoko paused chuckling a little bit, "I don't even know what a Suzaku is." She shook her head, "But I understand that they're important to you—you had a right to defend them."

A grin spread across his face. It was rather cute and with their close proximity it made Nyoko flush slightly. No one usually stood so close to one another unless it was a really close relationship…apparently that rule didn't apply here. Yet she wished he would take a step back before she made a fool of herself. "Suzaku is the God of Konan." Genrou said interrupting Nyoko's thoughts.

"Oh." Nyoko said trying to recover from getting lost in her own thoughts. "So…he uh…protects Konan?"

"Ya." Genrou said with a nod of his head. He then looked at her shirt, "His animal form is the phoenix yer wearing."

Now Nyoko was shocked, she glanced down at the giant red bird with new meaning. "A phoenix? Do you have those things here?" Nyoko asked cautiously. She knew that they were a legendary creature but hey if this world had different gods who knew what else it had.

Now Genrou laughed, "Nah…" He finally managed out. "Just Suzaku." He nodded his head.

They were interrupted by a groggy image of Nyoko standing in the doorway behind them, "Nie, it can't possibly be morning yet—and why in God's name are you two so loud?"

Giggling Nyoko looked at her sister, "Naoko go back inside I'll be there in a minute to explain."

"Explain what?" Naoko asked confused and slight irritation. "Why you're so loud?" She hinted teasingly.

Nyoko just shook her head, the mirth still in her eyes, "Just go get ready for a bath."

"A bath?" Naoko laughed, "Nie, you've gone crazy." She said closing the door behind her as she disappeared back into her room.

Genrou looked at her confused and Nyoko, like always, explained, "At home water comes out of a spout up on the wall. We take showers instead of baths…"

"How the hell does water come out of a wall?" Genrou asked looking at her like she was crazy.

Suddenly the door was thrown wide open, "NYOKO!" The shriek came from a horrified Naoko, "There is a _tub_ in the middle of the bathroom…where the hell is the faucet?!"

"I told you I would explain." Nyoko chuckled, "Sorry Genrou but I'll have to explain the concept to you some other time."

"Damn straight!" Naoko said to the fiery red head. What they were talking about was irrelevant to Naoko, the only thing she cared about was Nyoko's attention, "Nie what the hell is going on?!" Naoko said her hands on her hips, "Where is the faucet?!" By the expression Nyoko gave her she was starting to figure things out. "No." Naoko said with a slight chuckle. "They have running water…this is a joke right?"

"I'm afraid not. Someone will bring it to you in a couple of buckets…It's not that bad I promise." Nyoko said comfortingly. "Bye Genrou!" Nyoko said smiling and waving before looking back at Naoko, "First come in my room and get the clothes they got for you."

"Am I going to have to wear what you're wearing?" Naoko asked making a face; today just kept getting better by the second.

"Bye." Genrou said, obviously forgotten by now, as he walked away.

"Thank god they're not matching outfits but…" Nyoko said trying to be optimistic but then conceded, "That doesn't make it that much better does it?"

"We look like we could go to a Halloween party in that get-up." Naoko said scrunching her nose.

Nyoko shook her head, already inside the room and handing her sister the bundle of clothes, "Well here it's normal and I don't think we really want to draw any attention to ourselves."

Naoko sighed, "I suppose you're right…like usual. Whatever…we don't have to wear this stuff long…right?" Naoko was standing with the door open again glancing back at her sister before she left for her own room.

Nyoko didn't even take a time to pause, she just glanced over her shoulder, smiled and said, "Right."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Naoko returned to her sister's room there was a hint of a smile on her face. "You know…I said I wasn't fond of the clothes but hey, can't beat 'em join 'em." She grinned doing a dramatic twirl for her sister who sat on the edge of the bed. The outfit was the same cut and style though hers was purple and pink cherry blossoms were painted onto it.

"So I get the outfit with the bird and you get flowers?" Nyoko chuckled.

Naoko smirked, "Oh is that jealousy?"

Rolling her eyes Nyoko waved her over, "Do you want me to do your hair or not?"

"Yes, please!" And just like that Naoko sat in front of Nyoko obediently. It didn't take Nyoko long to finish. Naoko's hair was half pulled back, creating a sloppy bun and tied with a white ribbon, the bottom half of her hair lay wavy. "Thanks Nie."

"Anytime." Nyoko said out of repetition. It was nice to know that even in a completely different world, some things never changed.

Naoko let her fingers fuss with the front of her hair till the bangs all stayed to one side at an angle—like they were supposed to. Afterwards she turned her head to look up at Nyoko, "So, what are we going to do today?"

"Actually…I don't know what _you're_ going to do today." Nyoko replied.

Naoko narrowed her eyes with mischievous curiosity, "And pray tell…what are _you_ doing today then that you don't think I'll be joining you?"

"I'm going to be helping with the preparations to leave tomorrow. I figured there was something I could do. Perhaps help cook the meals we're taking. Or even just stuff things into bags." Nyoko shrugged.

Naoko scrunched her nose, "You're going to work basically."

"I told you, you wouldn't want to help so I don't know what _you're_ going to do today." Nyoko smirked reiterating her previous statement.

Naoko pouted, "You realize that just makes me look awful don't you?"

"No, I understand."

"I'm not lazy."

"I know that."

"I'm just clumsy and make everything ten times worse."

"Ha-ha, I know."

"Damn."

"What?"

"You know I'm going to have to help now."

"I figured as much."

Nyoko grinned at her sister who only glared back. "Well come on. I was hoping we could find Chichiri or someone we can offer to help."

Rolling her eyes Naoko stood and the two walked out of the room and about the maze of corridors. "Nie, this place is huge. We're never going to find him."

"This is a lot harder than I thought it would be…" Nyoko admitted biting her bottom lip. "I can't even tell if we've walked past here before. It's like a maze…"

"It's supposed to be." A male voice chuckled from behind them causing both girls to jump with surprise. The man was only a year or two older than them and he seemed to be around Chichiri's height and build. His hair was dark chocolate brown and his eyes were a warm, rich brown to match. He too was wearing the servants clothing but Nyoko distinctly remembered the other two's faces and therefore this one was new. "How did you manage to get yourself lost?" He asked clearly amused but confident in the idea that he could help.

"We were looking for Chichiri-sama…" Nyoko flushed, clearly embarrassed at having to admit being lost.

"Not that it's any of your business." Naoko said back flashing her sister an odd look. How could she just be so open with everyone? If she wasn't careful she was going to end up talking to the wrong people and get them into all sorts of trouble. That was Nyoko though—always too friendly.

The man seemed to find the twins amusing and chuckled quietly at both answers. "It's only my business if you want help getting to wherever you want to go." He smirked at Naoko then smiled at Nyoko, "Actually I'm on my way to Chichiri-sama now. We were going to go into the market for supplies…" He paused as recognition seemed to dawn on him. Another smirk spread across his face, "I take it you're the ones going with him? I wondered why I hadn't seen you around the palace before."

Naoko looked rather flustered after the man's answers causing Nyoko to laugh, "We are actually." She smiled softly before grinning at Naoko, "My name is Nyoko."

Now defensive Naoko spoke up for herself, not allowing Nyoko to introduce her again, "And I'm Naoko."

After their introductions the man gave an elegant bow to his waist; fancy wrist and arm movements included. It was this act that reminded the twins that the past might not be so bad after all—chivalry hadn't died yet. "It's an honor to meet your acquaintance." With a pleasant smile he added, "My name is Kano Hisakawa." His attention then turned to look down the hall. With a smirk he looked back at them, "I'm sure you'd like to go see Chichiri-sama now."

"That would be nice." Naoko said rolling her eyes, still flustered after having him point out how silly she was. Nyoko sighed at her sister's attitude towards the man but pleasantly agreed with him to try and make up for it. Despite her worry Kano seemed completely unfazed and began to lead them down the other hall.

Even though the halls all nearly looked the same, Kano seemed to be a complete expert of navigating him. It was also hard for the girl's to keep up with him. His legs were longer than theirs and his quick strides covered twice the distance in half the time. So, it shouldn't have been so odd that when they finally seemed to spot Chichiri both girls were slightly out of breath.

"Good morning no da!" Chichiri greeted the group that approached him. Nyoko and Naoko looked at each other as if the other could explain Chichiri's ending comment.

"Good morning Chichiri-sama." Both girls said respectively now glancing about them in awe. In front of them were the large gates to the wall, the wall that they expected surrounded the entire palace. It was huge and had been carefully constructed for not only as a strong holding but as a piece of artwork.

Chichiri glanced at both girls waiting to see if they would say anything but they both refrained. So he took it upon himself to ask, "Can I help you no da?" Again, what was with this 'no da' thing?

Naoko folded her arms across her chest and looked at her identical twin in what appeared to be expectation and slight annoyance. Nyoko sighed shaking her head. Chichiri noticed that this exchange between the twins seemed to be quite a common one. Finally the softer voice of the two spoke, "We were hoping that we could help you prepare. We want to thank you in some way for helping us." Nyoko smiled at the end hopefully.

Chichiri rose his eyebrows in slight surprise, he hadn't really expected to even see the girls until tomorrow morning. "Of course you can help no da!" He said this enthusiastically, he truly was happy to have their help. It would make things go by much quicker. "Now that there's more of us we can divide up. It'll make shopping much faster no da." He then glanced to Kano, "Is that alright with you?"

"Yes, of course Chichiri-sama." Kano smiled.

"Da! I thought I told you to just call me Chichiri." Chichiri sighed. Kano only laughed and Chichiri shook his head, "It would be easiest if one of you went with each of us no da." He had said this directed towards the girls, "Just because you're unfamiliar with Konan and it can be dangerous for you to be alone." Naoko and Nyoko were starting to realize that the new 'no da' endings must be typical considering Kano was behaving as if everything was fine. There theory was that he spoke like this when relaxed, obviously when he was more serious—like yesterday—the ending would fade away.

Naoko sighed heavily and gave her sister a look that showed she wasn't pleased. This was obviously not what she had had in mind. Not that Naoko had a clue to what she had actually planned on doing before. "Alright!" She gave in throwing up her hands. "I'll go with you if that's okay."

"Of course it is no da!" Chichiri said glancing to the remaining two. "Do you still have the list I gave you yesterday?" Kano nodded affirmative, "Why don't you just get the first half of the items and I'll get the second no da?" He then glanced up at the sun, "We'll probably be back late afternoon, no da." Nyoko raised her eyebrows in surprise. They must have a lot to shop for if it was going to take that long.

"Alright, we'll see you then Chichiri-sama." Kano smiled as one of the side doors was opened to go out—it obviously seemed silly to open the huge gates. Yet it still had taken Nyoko by surprise, she hadn't even seen the door concealed there.

"Have fun!" Nyoko waved towards her sister as they parted ways. Naoko's reply was only a scoff and an eye roll.

* * *

And this concludes the end of chapter two! I know in the previous chapter I promised I would shed some light on the ideas I have for this chapter and when I said that it was true. Yet, at the chapters completion...it was far too long and needed to be divided into two chapters. So my apologies. Although, if you're thinking that some of the scenes in this chapter were 'fluff' you're extremely mistaken. This chapter is _packed_ with foreshadowing--but really only a detailed reader is going to pick up these things and even then you probably wont realize what it's foreshadowing until much later. But _every single scene_ in here was extremely important! Even if it doesn't seem like it was yet.

I wanted to say thank you to the reviews I recieved last time. It's so nice to hear from old readers. I look forward to your review of this chapter and to hear how I'm doing--especially compared to my old stories. Now, please tell me if you have any questions, if I made anything unclear or confusing, and overall if you enjoyed the chapter. There was lot's of character building and story set up in this chapter and I hope you're starting to see more of how the characters act and behave. **Please** review and send me feed back. I can't fix anything or improve on the story if no one tells me it's _strengths_ and _faults._

Thank you for reading!

-Miracle


	3. Connecting Flowers

**Chapter Three: Connecting Flowers**

Naoko walked in silence with her companion that seemed overly chipper. Her arms were still crossed. She knew she probably looked uptight but she couldn't help it. Knowing that she was in a book—whether Nyoko believe it or not—made her extremely uncomfortable. None of this was real and all she wanted to do was go home. Not that she was keen on the idea of returning to Japan either. What she really wanted to do was move back to America. While her thoughts wandered her eyes glanced around towards the scenery. It sure was different—it felt like she had been sucked into the Discovery Chanel.

"Miaka-sama said her world was different from ours." Chichiri said glancing at the girl beside him as if noticing exactly what she was thinking about. It was almost uncomfortable to Naoko. She could also swear that his voice was different now—it wasn't that sweet velvet that it had been the day before. Now it was higher pitched, cheerful and the one word that kept screaming at her was _fake._ "It was hard to imagine no da. Is it really that much different?"

Surprised he was speaking to her she let her chestnut eyes turn to his. Naoko had always been a girl to have eye contact during a conversation. This of course was difficult to do with the mask he was wearing. She still didn't understand how it worked. It didn't appear to be worn down for years. It could easily have been put on yesterday. The mask itself was actually a little unnerving—who covered their face in such a manner? Yet, she had chose to go with him because he was clearly older than the man that escorted them to the gate and if she had to be alone she wanted it to be with someone who had a respected title, a false sense of security—whatever a Seishi was anyways.

"Ya." Naoko finally answered. At first that was all she planned on saying but she realized it probably seemed a little harsh. He was after all trying to make small talk. "I mean…my world is a lot different than this one. Though I'm sure it looked like this once…and in some places it still does. Really in my world there are a lot of places that look different from one another."

"Are you from…_Japan_ too no da?" Chichiri asked. It was rather cute the way he stumbled over the word.

"No." Naoko laughed. This seemed to take Chichiri quite by surprise and Naoko then realized that her statement wasn't true. "Well," she sighed trying to think of a way to explain it without being too complicated. "I mean, yes I am from Japan. Except…I didn't use to live there. We had actually just moved there—the same day that we came here."

Naoko said this so forlornly that Chichiri felt his heart tug for the girl. No wonder she was so bitter. She had just left one home for a new one before getting dropped off in a different world. He of course could relate to the fact of having to lose your home. Trying to encourage the conversation he asked, "So where are you from no da?"

At this Naoko smiled brightly, "America." She said this with a nod and as if she were extremely proud of the fact. It made Chichiri smile, the two girls that had suddenly fallen into their country were identical in appearance but when they smiled it was extremely unique. Hers was cheerful, optimistic, and genuine. "Arizona to be exact." Naoko winked continuing on in her conversation. It seemed at the mention of her original home she had much more to say and instead of being so upset she was smiling more.

"Air-eh-zone-ah?" Chichiri repeated the foreign word. What did it mean? "I don't understand no da."

"Hmmm…" Naoko mused in thought before snapping her fingers. Her body language revealed how she was loosening up. Chichiri realized that Naoko could be quite entertaining company if she was in a good mood. She was certainly more energetic than her sister. Finally she asked him, "This is Konan right?"

"Yes no da."

"Well America is like Konan. It's a country. America is _really_ big so it's divided up into smaller areas. Fifty of them; I'm from the one called Arizona. It's in the South, and it's a desert. Extremely hot…but there are tons of mountains."

"Like Sairou no da."

"Huh?"

"Sairou is another country no da. It has a desert too."

"Oh." Naoko said with a bright smile. It seemed there was finally something in this world that she could relate to. "Do you have cacti here?"

"Da?" Chichiri asked confused, "What's a cacti?"

Naoko giggled, "Cacti is the plural word for cactus. There are lots of types—they're plants with needles on them."

"I don't think I've ever seen a cactus no da." Chichiri said shaking his head. What a strange plant. Why would it be covered in needles?

"Arizona actually had one type of cactus that can't be found anywhere else in the world. And apparently not even in this one." Naoko smiled then decided to continue, "It's called a Saguaro cactus. It's tall like a tree but its bark is rubbery and green. It has arms…well they're the equivalent of branches but they're not thin like those ones." Naoko said pointing to a nearby tree. "The arms are really thick too and then all over are two inch needles. What's amazing is that they live for at least a hundred years and usually longer."

"A hundred years no da?!" Chichiri exclaimed in shock. How could a plant live so long? How could _anything_ live that long?

"Mhm!" Naoko chuckled, "They sometimes have flowers too but not often. They're white blossoms on top. They smell really pretty, and they're called the night flower because that's the only time they open up."

"At night no da?" Chichiri asked. "Da, cactus is a strange plant." He said in confusion.

Laughing Naoko said, "Of course it is. It's only the unique things that truly get remembered." Chichiri looked at her with a smile but she was glancing out at all the other things around them. He idly wondered if she knew how philosophical she sounded. Probably not.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nyoko seemed to have a childish fascination with everything about her and Kano was not only patient about it but seemed to find it cute. "Wow!" Nyoko repeated. Kano had lost track of how many times the expression had fallen from her lips. Her chestnut eyes were lit up with enthrallment at the artwork like architecture about her. "Everything here is like this? I can't imagine how much time went into designing this…" Nyoko asked but trailed off already on another line of thought.

Kano chuckled, "Yes, may I ask a question Okayame-san?"

Nyoko's expression was confused and she looked up, "Okayame-san? What kind of name is that?" She laughed shaking her head, "Just call me Nyoko." Kano seemed hesitant about the idea, "Really, it's alright." She smiled reassuringly. "And you can ask, you don't need my permission for something like that."

This time it was Kano who looked at her skeptically but nodded his head. Nyoko realized that he was actually quite handsome—in a way that people at home just weren't. His hair was longer, even longer than hers, and tied with a thin silk rope, and some of the strands fell into his face much like hers did. His features were more defined but with a soft edge giving him more of a gentle appearance. "There are rumors…" He began glancing at her to see if she wanted him to stop, she seemed unconcerned, "…that you're from another world. Just like the Suzaku no Miko. Is it true?"

Nyoko nodded the answer before she actually spoke it aloud, "I am." She then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear nervously now suddenly conscious of the fact that he was staring at her. "Although, I don't know why my sister and I are here." She gave him a half hearted smile.

"That's why you're going to see Tai Yi Jun." Kano said with a reassuring smile trying to make her less self conscious.

"Who?"

"Tai Yi Jun. She is the creator of the world—Mother of all four Gods."

"Wow really?" Nyoko said in shock. So they were going to meet a God?! This world was throwing new surprises every minute. She didn't know it was possible to really meet a God…but then again they had said that they summoned theirs. How peculiar. Nyoko now felt confident that she would get answers from them.

"Ah, we're coming to the Market now." Kano said glancing ahead. He then turned and smiled at her, "Don't wander off okay?"

Nyoko's eyes were wide. This certainly wasn't what she had imagined it would be. Though it made sense, of course there wasn't going to be a grocery store here, or a department store. This sort of reminded her of the flea market she had attended once with Naoko one weekend when they were bored. There were millions of little stalls and tents and it was hard to imagine how so many people could fit into such a small space. She could see how easily it would be for them to get separated if she didn't pay attention. "I think I can manage that." She grinned looking up at him—all the men here were so tall!

He nodded and suddenly she found herself immersed within the throng of people. Kano was already at one stall bargaining with an elder man about blankets. Or that was what Nyoko thought he was buying seeing all the oriental blankets hanging and even more numerous ones folded on the floor in piles. There were so many colors! And the designs were all unique…she couldn't find one that was repeating.

As she glanced at the blankets excitedly she looked over at Kano. Apparently shopping was a serious business and not just a simple exchange of money for product. He was haggling for a price. His voice was determined but gentle—never once did he raise it angrily and he seemed to always use words that he knew wouldn't offend the person he was speaking too. It seemed to make sense now why they would need to so much time to shop.

"Thank you." Kano finally said after they had finished settling on a price. He gave the man the money then came beside her, "Want to help pick them out?"

Nyoko's eyes lit up excitedly, "Sure." He led her back to the end wall where the heavier blankets resided.

"You can pick two of those and then two of those lighter ones near the front." Kano explained. Nodding her head Nyoko then went through all the blankets. After having to narrow down her choices she finally settled for a plain black one and a dark red one with a black bird—who she guessed was Suzaku—for the heavy ones. The lighter blankets she got were beige and black with some symmetrical Chinese artwork design spread across them each. She had all four blankets folded up in her arms. It was much like a child who tried to carry a suitcase that was too big for them. "Here." Kano chuckled removing the blankets from her grasp to hold them easily with one arm.

"I could've handled it." Nyoko said confidently only to have Kano chuckle at her as they moved back into the market place. More shops went by and between the two of them they were holding an odd assortment of items most of which Nyoko didn't know what they would do with.

While Kano haggled with another sales person Nyoko leaned against a pillar yawning behind one of her delicate hands. She was exhausted already, not to mention from the day before and not getting any sleep hadn't helped. She blinked tiredly looking around the market place smiling softly at a group of children that ran by with sticks pretending they were swords. It was all so fairy tale like, no one actually did things like this anymore.

Kano returned to her with another object, this one she couldn't even identify, "So, what do you say to some lunch?" He grinned at her.

Nyoko perked up at this idea, the fruit she had this morning wasn't enough to really tide her over for much longer. "That sounds like a wonderful idea."

Smiling Kano waited for her to pick up her things and then he began to navigate his way through the crowd, always cautious of not out walking her like he had done back at the palace. This time he went to a food stand, Nyoko couldn't see what he was buying but it smelled delicious. The food was given to him without a hassle for price and he then winked at her before leading them out of the market place.

Once out Nyoko realized just how much hotter it had been in there with all the extra people. "I take it you do this sort of thing often." Nyoko asked a light pink shaded across her cheeks from the heat, a few strands of hair sticking to her face. She had an amused smile on her face when she looked up at her companion.

"I used to." Kano said finding them a seat beneath a giant tree in the shade. Her eyes lifted upwards to look at the frail branches they sported pink flowers that seemed to captivate her. "Cherry blossoms." Kano explained.

Nyoko nodded her head, "Ya, they're in my world too but this is actually the first time I've seen them…"

"Really?" Kano asked now looking up at the delicate flowers too. "Something we have in common then." He smiled charmingly at her before he set down the things he was carrying and began to set up the food. The entire scene was so surreal, and his smile was so charming that Nyoko felt herself blush as she too set her things down and sat across from him in the cool grass.

"Thank you." Nyoko said shyly in the middle of her meal. She had no idea what Chinese food it was but she was surprised to find that she really liked it. Though she had been too afraid to ask what it was in fear that she wouldn't like the answer.

Kano looked up from his food and blinked a few times in confusion, "What for?"

"For letting me come with you. I know I must seem so silly getting distracted by all these things." Nyoko answered. "I'm not used to…letting people do things for me. So also thank you for letting me help. It means a lot."

"You realize you're thanking me for you helping me. It's a little backwards Nyoko." Kano said leaning forward so that their faces were suddenly rather close. Nyoko took a silent intake of breath in shock. Her eyes were wide as she stared into his chocolate brown ones. "Hm." He said with a bemused smile as he closed his eyes and looked away. He then leaned back to his spot as if nothing had happened leaving Nyoko with her heart pounding. What was with these people?! Had no one heard of personal space before? Did he do that to everyone?! Finally he spoke, "We finished rather early." He commented. "Do you want to see more of the city? Or would you like to go back to the palace?"

Trying to shake the event from her mind as well she took a breath before actually answering him. "Do you mind humoring me and showing me more of the city?" Nyoko asked shyly glancing around at more of the buildings.

"I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want to." Kano chuckled. "Let's just drop these things off at the palace first so we don't have to carry it around all day." Nyoko nodded her head eagerly. On the way back to the palace they had walked in a comfortable silence each reflecting on their own thoughts.

Idly Nyoko wondered what he must have been thinking about. It didn't last long because her own thoughts kept coming back to the same scene under the tree. It was so unexpected and over so quickly she had to debate with herself whether or not it had actually happened. The trip back to the palace had been shorter than she expected, that or she had lost track of time with so much on her mind. She would have thought they had to carry everything inside but more servants had come quickly to relieve them of all the things they had purchased and some had smiled and told them to enjoy themselves after Kano told them their plans.

On the way back Nyoko decided that they couldn't remain in silence for the rest of the day. So she started, "Did you ever meet the girl that came from my world before?"

Kano seemed to be taken by surprise at her question. His eyes glanced over in her direction, "No, I wasn't that fortunate."

"She didn't stay at the palace?"

"Heh, I didn't really work in the palace yet. My Mother did—she was a cook. She said the girl ate so much food that they had to go shopping twice in one day because she could clear out the kitchen on her own." Both of them laughed at this.

Finally Nyoko looked up at him curiously, "So where were you?"

Kano didn't answer immediately, "Well at the time I worked with my Father. We were fisherman." It didn't escape Nyoko's attention that he had used the past tense. She glanced away suddenly feeling guilty for asking. She was shocked when he kept talking, "But Kutou had waged war against Konan…most of us were recruited into the army."

"You fought in a war?!" Nyoko asked in shock. Her eyes were wide and disbelieving, how long ago had it actually been that the priestess was here?! Were they at war because of her? Nyoko knew now for sure that if they were there to be some sort of priestess…she would never take the position.

Kano blinked surprised at her outburst, "Many of us did, yes." He then shrugged it off, "After the war my Mother wanted me with her so I had to give the shop up."

"I'm sorry." Nyoko said her eyes downcast at the dirt road they were walking on.

Kano chuckled, "You have nothing to apologize for Nyoko." He then glanced about them changing the subject abruptly, "I know just where to take you."

"Really?" Nyoko asked glancing around for clues to what he must have been talking about.

"Come on." Kano chuckled leading them down a few streets. It wasn't far before they came upon a square courtyard. There was music and a few miscellaneous performers. Then there were couples scattered about in the area dancing to the music.

Nyoko looked at the scene curiously, "Is it a party?"

"Something like that." Kano said offering her his hand.

Her eyes went from his hand, to the people about them, then back to his face in surprise. "Oh no, no I don't really…" She said flushing pink. Did he really want her to dance with him?

"Well, never a better time to start." Kano smiled. He noticed her hesitation, "Don't worry, it's a lot easier than it looks." Kano laughed, seeing how nervous she was, "Come on Nyoko, when will you ever get to dance in this world again?"

Damn, he had a point there. Biting her bottom lip nervously she then took his hand. Hers was so much tinier than his! She tried not to blush as he pulled her out into the dance area. Her hopes of not blushing completely failed as his other arm wrapped around her waist. He smiled at her reassuringly before starting out slowly the few basic steps to the dance. At first she was stumbling and completely embarrassed at having been talked into this but it seemed that not long into it Kano's confidence helped her own. And just like that Nyoko found herself amongst the many other couples, young and old, dancing in the circle, twirling and getting lost in the music.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Naoko sat in the grass with her elbow propped up on a knee and her face rested against her hand. What had Nyoko been thinking going back into the city? Had she thought of what Naoko was going to do with her gone? Chichiri had reassured her that they were fine and that they would see each other at dinner but Naoko was unconvinced and therefore was still sitting close to the door.

"Ya look like yer havin' a blast." Genrou chuckled coming up to the sulking girl.

Her eyes flashed up to the red head in annoyance. Great, he was just who she needed to see. What did he want anyway? Scowling she didn't even bother asking let her eyes flash back to the door. When was Nyoko coming back?

"Are ya really gonna wait here all day? Seems like a waste." Genrou said his hands folded behind his head.

"What do you care?" Naoko asked bitterly. Then her foul mood getting the best of her she spoke again. "Let me guess. Miaka. I mean _Miaka-sama_ wouldn't waste her time like this?"

Genrou seemed rather taken aback by her outburst. Yet instead of yelling at her he did quite the opposite. He plopped himself down next to her and said, "Actually, Miaka probably would be sittin' here sulkin' if it was t'at Tamahome she was waitin' on." When Naoko looked at him in confusion he added, "But since yer so dead set on _not_ bein' her I thought I'd give ya an alternative."

Naoko had to give him credit. He was trying to be nice, but she wasn't in the mood to spend time with a man that just yesterday had made it his duty to make her and her sister the most unwelcome people in Konan. "Pass." She said directing her eyes back to the door.

Genrou chuckled, "Ya know yer sister is out enjoyin' the city since yer not gonna be stayin' here much longer. How often do ya get to go see an entirely new world?"

At this Naoko glanced back at him with slight interest. He did have a point and it didn't look like Nyoko was coming back anytime soon. "Alright. What did you have in mind?"

"I thought I'd show ya something ya don't normally see in yer world." Genrou said with a mischievous grin that made her heart beat faster. She had to hand it to this world it was full of good looking people.

"Oh really?" Naoko said trying to play disbelieving but a smirk was now tugging at her lips too. "Try me."

"Well I can't show ya here—it's a lil dangerous." Genrou laughed picking himself up and waiting for her to follow.

"Fang boy, you better make this worth my while." Naoko said picking herself up and dusting off the outfit she was wearing.

"Fang boy?!" Genrou yelled back glaring.

"Well you won't let me call you Tasuki so…" Naoko grinned and just shrugged.

Genrou scowled at her, "Women." He grumbled quietly to himself as he led her away from the main gate. They walked in silence and it was a surprisingly quite a distance from where they had started.

"Are we getting any closer?" Naoko complained.

"Ya, ya. I just wanna make sure I'm not gonna catch anythin' on fire." Genrou said as they passed what appeared to be a training ring. Men were inside practicing with wooden swords.

"Fire?" Naoko repeated suspiciously. She had always been a slight pyro but did he really think they didn't have fire in her world? "Hate to break it to you fang boy but I have fire in my world too."

Genrou barked a laugh as they finally made it to an empty dirt clearing. "Ya, uh huh." He said absentmindedly. "Now Nao-chan you just go stand over there." He said pointing against the wall.

"Nao-chan?" Naoko repeated.

"If I get a nickname you do to." Genrou said, "Now go stand over t'ere." He said shoeing her in the direction.

Naoko shook her head but complied. She crossed her arms and rose an eyebrow, "I'm waiting fang boy."

Genrou smirked at her. He then pulled out what appeared to be a metal version of a paper fan. Then with a few quick movements he shouted, "REKKA SHINEN!" Much to Naoko's surprise the fan erupted with a tunnel of fire. Her mouth hung open as she glanced from where the fire had been to the man with the fan. "Pretty cool huh?" Genrou laughed.

At a loss for words Naoko managed out the only thing she could say, "Again?"

"Now yer talkin." Genrou laughed repeating the process for her entertainment. Afterwards when Genrou turned to look at the girl, instead of being by the wall like she had been previously, she was right next to him. Her big chestnut eyes wide with wonder as she studied the fan. "How does it do that? Can I try?" She asked.

"Hey!" Genrou yelled holding the fan out of reach. "Don't go sneakin' up on people like t'at!" He said but Naoko apparently wasn't listening.

"Why can't I try?!" Naoko said jumping trying to reach the fan. "Damn, shortness." She growled. Genrou began to laugh until Naoko finally fed up—jumped him sending them both into the ground with a cloud of dirt.

The two of them were wrestling for the fan when a surprised Chichiri stumbled upon them, "What are you two doing no da?" He asked nervously.

"He won't share!"

"Help me Chichiri!"

Chichiri held his hands up in helplessness. "Da!" He then shook his head, "Did you have to show off Tasuki no da?"

At this Genrou scowled and Naoko giggled. Finally Naoko glanced over at him, from her position on top of Tasuki—that she seemed oblivious too, "Can we help you Chichiri?"

Chichiri rubbed the back of his head nervously, "Well no da, I was hoping you could tell us about Miaka…" Naoko looked at him in confusion so Chichiri continued, "Since we no longer get to see her…I just would like to hear how she's doing no da."

Naoko smiled softly. They must have been great friends for him to still be wondering about the girl. Despite her bitterness, do to always being compared to the girl, she suddenly wished that she actually knew her so that she could tell them more. "Well…" Naoko began nervously.

"Can ya tell us once yer off of me?!" Genrou yelled from underneath her. As if suddenly realizing just now that she was straddling the man she jumped off with a bright blush, "Sorry." She said then brushed her dark red bangs back into place—surprisingly the only evidence of their tussle.

Tasuki sat up now sitting cross legged and looked at Naoko expectantly. When Naoko glanced at both men she realized they were waiting for her to talk. "Um…I don't really have a lot to tell you."

"That's alright no da. Even the littlest bit of information is nice to hear." Chichiri said encouragingly. For some reason, the way he said that tugged at her heart. Something had happened between all of them, she wish that she knew what.

"Well yesterday Nyoko and I moved to Japan. We were bored so we went to the library. When we were there we ran into a couple. They seemed nice enough but really we only talked to the third girl—Yui I think?"

"The Sieryuu no Miko." Tasuki and Chichiri answered simultaneously and with unease.

A little nervous at both of their recognition she continued, "Well they were friends and they were getting along fine. Or so it looked. Miaka looked really happy."

"What were they doing no da?" Chichiri asked wondering what they were doing in the library.

Naoko shrugged, "Like I said…I didn't really have much to tell you. It was the first time I had ever seen her."

"That's okay no da." Chichiri smiled. "Thank you for sharing. It's nice to know she's happy."

Tasuki was looking at the ground, "Ya." He tacked on quietely.

Now Naoko glanced at Chichiri, "Is my sister back yet?" It was a sudden topic change but it was too awkward to stand between both men reflecting on another girl.

"No." Chichiri answered shaking his head. When Naoko looked nervous he replied, "Don't worry no da. She's safe. Kano-san is a good person and would never let something happen to her no da." Naoko nodded her head but didn't verbally respond. Chichiri then looked up at the setting sun, "They should be back soon no da. Dinner will be soon." It was as soon as he said this that a chime rang loudly through the palace. "See?" He chuckled.

Tasuki picked himself up and began to wipe the dirt off of his outfit. Naoko was standing to the side. She expected to be discarded. After all Tasuki had only meant to distract her for awhile. Now that he had he was probably going to resort back to his old ways especially after she had reminded them of Miaka. Instead he said to her, "You comin' Nao-chan?"

It was an odd nickname but it seemed to fit their odd beginning of a friendship. "Of course I am." Naoko said confidently walking by his side now. She playfully pushed at his shoulder and asked innocently, "Can I see that fan now?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When everyone gathered in the dining hall the second night things had undoubtedly changed. Perhaps it was because it was no longer an assembly of strangers smashed together in a room. No, instead it was now a gathering of mutual acquaintences that had the small possibility of bordering friendship. It made all the difference. Both girls were more relaxed, enjoying the food Konan had to offer, and smiles seemed easy to spot amongst the group as they ate.

"Nie, of course we would land in a world where rice is a main dish." Naoko sighed teasingly letting the rice be moved across her plate in a bored manner.

"Naoko." Nyoko whispered in a chastising manner. "Stop picking at your food."

Naoko ignored this comment and then said, "So what did you do in the market today?" Nyoko only blushed and to stall for time took a rather large bite of chicken. "Nie?!" Naoko said in shock. "Ho, ho, ho! Enjoy yourself?" Her sister said grinning mischievously.

Swallowing Nyoko tried to defend herself, "It wasn't like that!"

"Sure it wasn't." Naoko said back casually.

"It wasn't!"

"It wasn't what?" Tasuki asked in confusion now joining into the conversation.

"My sister here had a fun time." Naoko smirked.

"We went dancing!" Nyoko finally said in defense for herself.

Blinking Naoko stared at her sister for a moment before laughing, "_You_ went dancing?" Shaking her head she said, "If you're going to make up something you did you should make it something that's believable."

"But…" Nyoko said at a loss of what to do. Again Nyoko sighed in defeat; well of course her sister wouldn't believe her. She had always made it a point to never attend a dance in her life.

Naoko had apparently moved on to a new topic. It was hard, even in the more relaxed atmosphere, to just ignore the fact that things just weren't the way they should be, "Chichiri?" She asked.

"Yes Naoko-san?" Chichiri replied.

"What time are we leaving tomorrow?" Naoko asked glancing back down at her food as she ate. She hoped it didn't appear as ungrateful. Yet, she didn't know how much more of this world she could handle before losing her mind.

"Rather early in the morning no da." Chichiri replied.

"I figured." Naoko grumbled. Nyoko chuckled quietly, it sure would be interesting. Her sister was never the morning person. Yet as she thought about leaving the next day she realized that she wished it wasn't so soon. She of course knew that she couldn't stay here—that was absurd. Yet…she had had such a nice day. More time in this world wouldn't really be as bad as she had originally thought it would be.

Yet something else was tugging at the back of her mind. Surely there had been a reason they were pulled into this world. This book, if that truly was what they were in, did not just do things without a purpose. But how would she know? She didn't even know what the priestess was for this country. These things had troubled her, had nagged at her mind all night and transcended into the day. Her eyes glanced over at Chichiri—she knew not why but she knew he would be the one to answer her, "Chichiri-sama I have something to ask you."

The way she had asked, so quiet, but so desperate had caused not only Chichiri's attention to be directed at her but everyone's. "Yes Nyoko-san?" He sounded wary—and he probably had the right to be so.

"I want to know what happened." Nyoko said her eyes looking at him for the answers to so many of her questions.

Naoko looked shocked but she too now looked at the others. They had wanted to know…perhaps they were finally going to find out. Chichiri seemed to know what she was talking about while everyone else looked at her in anxious confusion.

Nyoko continued, "Today Kano-san told me there was a war when the Miko was here. That's not something that can be so easily over looked. I don't know what the Suzaku no Miko was or what happened. If she too came from my world than I think I should know this story. After all no one knows why my sister and I are here…maybe the answers are there."

Silence fell upon the group and Tasuki was staring down at his plate. Houki seemed like she too was sad at the mentioning of the old priestess. Naoko was beginning to wonder if it was such a good idea to mention it at all. Perhaps it was a story she didn't really want to hear. Yet, Naoko realized that this reaction wasn't going to be enough to make Nyoko push the thought aside. She had worked up the courage and asked the question, she was going to want the answer now.

True to her sister's belief's Nyoko tried not to be affected by it and said, "Please Chichiri-sama, I know—I don't know how—but I know it's not a story you really want to tell but it's important. I _need_ to know what happened."

His reply was soft, the velvet smooth tone returning to his voice, and the common ending they had heard all day was absent. "I wondered when you would ask."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Naoko leaned against the railing just as her sister did. The other had fallen into an eerie silence after the tale of the Suzaku no Miko. Naoko shuddered at the remembrance of it. They had seen that girl in the library and never even known what she had been through—that girl was lucky to even be alive. Yet it wasn't the tale that was so unnerving, though that alone could have been enough, but it was who told it to them. Two people who had experienced it themselves…tears had glittered in their eyes. Naoko had never seen men cry before and realized that she didn't want to.

Her eyes glanced to Nyoko. Her sister had remained silent throughout the whole story. She never expressed any emotion—it was as if she knew before they said it, everything that was going to happen. None of it took her by surprise or if it had she hadn't shown any evidence of it. The way she stared up at the stars now almost sent a second shiver down Naoko's spine. Naoko had never been able to handle overly taxing situations well. Seriousness was just not in her genetic make-up—God knew Nyoko had enough of that for the both of them.

"Nie…" Naoko said quietly. The same chestnut eyes as her own glanced at her but for the first time Naoko truly saw just how different they really were—and it had been there all along. Naoko frowned concerned, and clearly uncomfortable. Already she was showing her emotion openly while Nyoko buried it deep down inside—making it impossible to guess at. "Nie, we should go to bed. We're leaving early in the morning…" She trailed off.

"You're right." Nyoko whispered giving her sister a lopsided smile. "I'll go to bed soon."

Now Naoko's eyes widened, "I've heard that before."

"I promise." Nyoko quickly lied trying to convince her sister go to bed.

"You haven't been sleeping at all have you?" Naoko asked accusingly. There was concern in her voice, slight anger too, "Nie why didn't you say something!?" She hissed.

"Because there is nothing to say." Nyoko reassured her with a soft smile. "I'm sleeping."

Naoko glared, "And we're still in America." Her tone was mocking but it turned to more serious matters, "Nyoko I'm sure they have something…"

Nyoko laughed quietly, though it really held no mirth. "Chronic insomnia doesn't really have a cure Nai."She shook her head, "I promise I'm fine though. Besides I'm tired after dancing today. I'm sure once my head hits the pillow I'll be out." She smirked confidently.

Naoko gripped the railing tightly. Nyoko's condition had always been around. It had begun when they were younger. While Naoko had always been _dramatic_ and acting out at everything that happened in their life Nyoko had just grown quiet, mature, and incredibly _stressed_. Stress had apparently turned into insomnia which could then affect other aspects of her sister's health. Naoko should have known. The announcement to move to Japan had affected her sister just as much as it had her. While she would complain during the day, Nyoko would stay awake at night. The same had applied when they were unceremoniously dropped into this world.

Naoko wrapped an arm around her sister's shoulders, "Come on Nie. Let's just go to bed. You can sleep in my room—like we used to. The beds are plenty big enough." She smiled encouragingly.

"Thanks Nai…" Nyoko smiled. "But really…I would like to just enjoy the moonlight for a while…the fresh air here really helps me clear my head."

Naoko's confidence wavered. Nyoko had to hand it to her, this was the longest her sister had confronted the problem. It wasn't that Naoko didn't care—that was definitely not the case—Naoko just didn't know how to handle serious situations. That was probably her fault. Nyoko had always stepped in to handle the situation, sparing her sister any part in it. In return Naoko would act out and convey her feelings enough for the both of them—something that made Nyoko uncomfortable. It was rather a good trade off for both of them: their silent agreement.

Nyoko knew that Naoko wasn't truly convinced but it was enough. Naoko wouldn't probe the questioning further for fear of disrupting the social, sisterly, contract they had wordlessly created. "Alright." Naoko finally said giving Nyoko a slight one armed hug. "But the offer is always open." She tacked on—Nyoko knew she only said it to ease her own mind. Her sister surely knew that Nyoko would never actually take her up on the offer.

"Goodnight Nai." Nyoko smiled.

"Night Nie." Naoko said going into her room for the night.

Sighing in relief Nyoko let her eyes glance back up at the stars. They held an entirely new meaning now. Before they had been pinpoints that she rarely ever saw due to the city lights and even then they had been long distant stars and barren planets that seemed more like speculation than actually existing artifacts. Now, they were constellations of people who had fought valiantly for something they believed in with all their heart—for the peace and prosperity of their country. Most of them had died for it. The revelation made Nyoko tremble. That was what the Suzaku no Miko had been brought here for; a journey that nearly cost her life.

Was that what the book had brought them here for? To go on some adventure where nearly all the people they cared for died? Where so many innocents would be swept up into things bigger than them and have to pay the price? Nyoko wanted nothing to do with it. She wouldn't allow Naoko to have anything to do with it—there was no way she was going to allow her sister to become entangled in something like that. Yet…what evidence was there that something like that would happen? All four priestesses had come. Peace was reigning the countries…there wasn't anything to fight for. So that brought her back to her original question—why?

Nyoko sighed it was going to drive her insane. Surely it was going to be another restless night, but she hadn't expected anything less. This was just how it was. This was life—insomnia had become a part of it. Sure she had moments where she was tired, but that was usually the more common symptom for acute insomnia. Due to hers being chronic she realized that she was hardly tired at all; she even seemed to be more aware of her surroundings than most of the people about her. It's only downfalls were that it made her _weak_. She grew tired far too quickly—as exampled by today's events in the market place, and one of the numerous reasons she usually hadn't danced; and mentally she was usually exhausted too.

"Nyoko?" A familiar voice asked in a questioning manner. Her eyes snapped from the stars to the man she had spent the day in the market with. His chocolate eyes looked darker without the sunlight. They almost rivaled hers for a deeper shade. Slight concern was clearly evident in his gaze but it was mostly over powered by confusion. "What are you still doing awake?" Kano asked incredulously.

Nyoko laughed, trying to play it off easily. "Oh, I was just stargazing. It's a good atmosphere for thinking." It wasn't a lie—it just omitted some of the more important parts of the truth. How easily he was relieved! His smile heightened his features causing a light blush to race across her face. Thankfully it was too dark for him to notice the slight change in complexion. "I could ask you the same thing though." She asked, dare she say it, _flirtatiously._

Kano's laugh was like honey, sweet and thickly smooth. "This is my favorite time of day." He smiled at her wryly.

"You do know that the day is over and that when the sun sets it's considered night?" Nyoko teased pointing at the moon for evidence.

"Oh yes, I once heard something about that." Kano mused for her entertainment. "Most people sleep during this time, do they not?" He asked with a soft chuckle.

Smiling at their banter Nyoko shook her head in disbelief at the ridiculously childish conversation, "Usually." She agreed then she tilted her head to the side studying him, "So, what is it you do instead?"

Kano continued to walk again, closing the small distance between them. With her on the platform he noticed that they were a tad bit closer to eye level than when she stood on the ground. "Mm, actually I go on a walk. You'd be surprised how different everything looks once the sun has set."

"And you go on this walk every night?" Nyoko asked dubiously.

Kano let an amused smirk grace his lips, "Actually yes." He then glanced at the empty hallways and the comfortable silence of night that had descended upon Konan, "Do you want to come with?"

Nyoko looked hesitant. This didn't surprise him. It was extremely out of the ordinary, and completely improper of him to ask her to join him on a midnight walk. And yet, despite all of this she replied quite the opposite of what he thought she would, "Yes."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There was an insufferable noise interrupting what _was_ an extremely pleasant dream. Groaning the lithe sleeping form rolled onto her stomach forcing a pillow to be thrust over her head. Sadly, pillows just weren't cut out for drowning out noises. The knocking only became louder. "Go. Away." Naoko growled; the point of this was unclear. Obviously no one was within hearing distance.

Instead of heeding the spiteful words the door opened and in slipped her look alike. Of course Nyoko was already bathed, dressed, and smiling cheerfully; all things that Naoko had no intention of doing yet. "Nai time to get up." Nyoko said tugging at the blanket around her sister's form. "The boy's are already ready to go."

"Does it look like I care?!" Came the muffled reply of anger.

Nyoko rolled her eyes. Obviously more drastic measures were going to need to be taken. "Okay." Nyoko said with a shrug, despite the fact that her sister wasn't looking at her. "Perhaps we should leave without you…" Her threat trailed off, not needing to be finished.

Naoko, was certainly awake now as evident by her colorful stream of vocabulary as she propped herself up in bed, the pillow laying discarded farther away from her now. Nyoko thankfully resisted the urge to smirk at the reaction and at her sister's display of ruffled hair, and night gown. Instead she gathered the disheveled and carelessly tossed clothes her sister had worn yesterday. She held them out to her in an amused gesture. Naoko glanced at her in confusion and caution. Suddenly her eyes shot up in shock as she realized its implications upon what her own sister was wearing, "Are you serious? They didn't give us another pair of clothes? I have to wear that _again_."

"Unfortunately." Nyoko said with dramatized annoyance for her sister's benefit.

Glowering Naoko snatched the clothes from her sister's grasp and stalked back to the bathroom muttering as she did so. When she returned she was clothed in the same outfit as the day before, and she clearly looked uncomfortable. "Ugh…I can't believe we only have this to wear…" She then glanced at her sister's hair—it was pulled away from her face and into a high ponytail. Snickering Naoko said, "Well I don't think you've done your hair like that since freshman year."

Nyoko glared and muttered sarcastically, "So glad you remember."

Naoko cracked a grin, "How could I not? I mean it was how you had worn your hair _every _day."

"I think you're forgetting who now does _your_ hair _every_ day." Nyoko said this determinedly walking towards the door to leave.

"Nie! I was just giving you a hard time!" Naoko pleaded at her now departing sister. "Oh come on!" She shouted as the door clicked shut. Grumbling Naoko brushed her hair and pulled it up into a high ponytail. Glancing in the mirror she saw the uncanny resemblance to her sister and, not so gently, undid the ponytail. This time when she redid it, it was at the base of her neck. With a nod of satisfaction she rushed outside looking for Nyoko expectantly.

Nyoko was poised, leaning back against the railing with a raised eyebrow. "I thought you detested ponytails?"

Her sister shot her a dirty look, "Alright." Naoko said this determinedly rubbing her hands together. She then glanced down the hall. No one else was there. "Um…where is everyone?"

"At the front gate waiting for us." Nyoko chuckled, though there was another amusement in her eyes that Naoko had yet to identify.

Naoko glanced around her warily. It the occurred to her that they obviously would not be driving to wherever it was they were going. "Nie…how are we getting there?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nyoko let her hand graze the horse's head gently. Almost immediately the huge beast had been drawn to her—it was just Nyoko's way when it came to animals. Naoko on the other hand was growling quite a few obscenities she knew their Mother would kill her for if she could but hear them.

"We are _not_ riding horse-back." Naoko said incredulously. She had this incredibly tangible fear of the huge animal and had quite a discerning amount of visions in which she could break a few bones just by advancing towards it.

"Would ya prefer t' walk?" The fiery red head warrior asked in amusement. "Don't tell me yer afraid of the horses Nao-chan?"

Nyoko looked at her sister in quiet amusement. "Nao-chan?" She repeated this with a glint of sisterly interest. Her sister had certainly been keeping secrets!

Coming to her rescue was an unexpected man. Chichiri, with his staff whacked the red head in slight amusement, "Don't tease her no da! You're no better."

"Ow!" Tasuki yelled rubbing at his head sorely, though it was mostly for show. The monk hadn't really hit him that hard. "T'at reminds me…" Tasuki drawled flashing amber eyes over at his dear friend, "Why ain't we just poofin' ourselves there? Seems like an awful lot of trouble…" He trailed off in a grumble looking at the other horse mistrustfully.

Naoko perked up at this comment, "Wait. There's a faster way to get there? There is a way that doesn't involve riding that _thing_?" She said this in a happy drawl flashing Nyoko a victory smirk.

It was short lived by the monk's reply, "You've never been on the mountain before and Tai Yi Jun tests every heart on their journey up the mountain—no one can reach the top without her approval."

"Why? Does she do Voodoo or something? I mean how is she going to be able to tell anyway?" Naoko asked incredulously.

Before she could say anything else inappropriate Nyoko's hand fell on her sister's shoulder pulling her back. She whispered in explanation, "Tai Yi Jun…is a god for them."

"Are you kidding me?" Naoko laughed thinking that her sister was obviously joking with her. Yet there was only a silence and a disapproving glare from her sister. Nyoko had always been spiritual…and she? Well she had just found folly in religion.

Nyoko said in an admonishingly way, "Nai…please just be nice about it. Remember that they have fed us and let us stay here over night and are even now helping us when they don't have to."

Naoko's reply was a scoff—that would have to do. "Alright." Obviously pushing the information aside Naoko rubbed the palm of her hands in an expectant manner. A habit much like Nyoko's of biting her bottom lip. Yet instead of indicating nervousness the gesture was usually seen right before Naoko took on something big. "So, how are we doing this?" Her eyes looked to the monk expectantly while her anger and resent was directed towards the horses she would have to ride.

Yet before the cerulean haired man could answer her an annoying red head did. "Yer ridin' wit' Chichiri." He gave a patented fang grin along with the comment.

"Let me guess." Naoko drawled out annoyingly. Her chestnut eyes narrowed at the man, "_You_ get your own horse?"

"Trust me; you don't want to ride with him no da." Chichiri quipped in.

Something else was nagging at Nyoko's attention besides the amusing scene unfolding. It finally occurred to her that there were only two horses present. Finally she voiced her concern, "What about me?"

"Kano-san is finishing the packing no da. He'll be here soon." Chichiri supplied for an answer causing the girl to turn red.

Snickering at her sister's face Naoko added, "He's coming?"

"We needed three horses no da…" Chichiri said wearily.

"Let me guess." Naoko said for the second time in the short conversation, "Women don't ride alone?" Despite Chichiri's apparent appeal to actually answer her rhetorical question she grinned at Nyoko. "So much for the horse riding lessons sis! I told you that you should have done basketball with me all those years ago."

Sighing in defeat Nyoko looked up just in time to see the third horse trot up bearing the rider of her midnight walk partner. "Good morning Nyoko!" Kano said brightly. Nyoko turned to see a grin on Naoko's face that would have made the Cheshire cat proud. Rolling her eyes she gave a similar greeting as the horse came to a standstill.

Like a gentleman Kano got down from the horse, obviously about to assist her yet before he got the chance to in one graceful motion Nyoko did it all alone. She seemed perfectly content receiving the shocked stares from her fellow occupants and pretended as if nothing extraordinary in the least had happened. Bitterly Naoko now had to squirm under her sister's amused gaze as she struggled to attempt the same thing. Needless to say it wasn't nearly as graceful and even worse it had taken Tasuki, Chichiri, and Kano's assistance before she sat on top of the horse a scowl clearly visible.

"I think we're finally ready to go no da." Chichiri said sighing in the finality of it.

Nyoko spoke up again as Kano moved towards her horse, "What about Houki-sama. Surely we can say thank you before we leave."

"Actually no da. She is extremely busy and wanted to wish us well." Chichiri sighed. Thankfully this was true; the Empress had country affairs to attend to. He would have died if she wasn't because otherwise they had spent a ridiculous amount of time getting Naoko up onto the horse.

"Oh…well okay." Nyoko answered obviously trying not to look disappointed and failing. And with that the little caravan set off for the distant mountain, Chichiri leading the way. Their journey was peaceful and despite the twin's interest in the new scenes before them it was rather uneventful to the men who accompanied them. The only disturbing thing lay miles away _waiting _for them with golden eyes.

* * *

Please don't kill me! Unfortunately we just didn't get to the exciting part that I thought we would...although it is hinted at there in the last sentence. (Grin) Despite that rather disappointing part (my long chapters are going to be the death of me) there was lots of important information in this chapter.

For example we learned about Nyoko's insomnia. Now, before anyone flames me so conveniently informing me that insomnia is not infact a disease, I did happen to do my homework. There is a large difference between _acute_ insomnia and _chronic_ insomnia. Nyoko has the latter. Specifically, from what I've learned, chornic insomnia can be it's own primary symtom and does not need any other sleeping disorder to arise. The way I described her symptoms are based off of my own findings from the research I have gathered. Plus, as Naoko hinted at the insomnia originated from stress. I purposefully have not told you how she came under all this stress--that will be revealed in later chapters. (Though I'm sure right now she's going through enough haha). I'm sure it seems rather random at the moment but it'll have a rather large part to play through out the story.

Also, we learn a little more about the twin's relationship with one another. Did anyone else notice the one small and subtle word that just sounded odd? 'The sisterly contract' This should have jumped out at you. What siblings have an unwritten social contract with one another? This is a small first glimpse into how their family is run. Don't worry, there'll be more evidence later to explain. I'm just trying to point out the little hints.

There were also lot's of other major hints in this chapter but I just can't pin point them out for you right now (hopefully you're noticing them on your own). The reason for this is because they won't be answered for quite some time and I don't want to let the cat out of the bag too early.

Also, if you're wondering the chapter title originated from the fact that both girl's seemed to relate to a particular kind of flower (HUGE symbolism...you'll probably see it later...). It was also called connecting for two reasons. One, because both girls are connected by the fact that they're both flowers, just different kinds and two, because the flowers made a connection between this world and their own. Even though there aren't Saguaro cacti flowers in the book it's the fact that Naoko talks about them with Chichiri--the first scene of her actually enjoying herself.

So have I driven anyone mad yet? I mean I've gone through three (debatably long) chapters and have still yet to tell you why the twins are even in the book in the first place! (Wicked laugh) No worries my dear readers! It'll all happen in good time. Just wait till next chapter where the plot thickens. You'll finally have some questions answered. I can promise that for sure this time because I've already written the beginnings of it. Now, I'm going to spare you anymore wandering thoughts I have at the moment since this author's note seems rather long now...

**Please** review! I really want to hear your opinions and have some feed back. Don't be afraid to use constructive criticism either. I can take it. =D

Thank you for reading!

-Miracle


	4. Changing Hearts

**Chapter Four: Changing Hearts**

There was little conversation as the three horses came to a halt in the dense forest. The road had begun to incline at the beginning of the day and now it resembled hills at the park that the twins had once rolled down when much younger. Nyoko slid off the horse, falling gracefully onto the land seemingly unaffected by the uneven ground. Naoko on the other hand had stumbled, slipped, and cursed loudly. Nyoko didn't bother to scold her sister this time. It was almost an unwelcomed ritual that the group had fallen into.

The last few days were all the same and in Nyoko's opinion they were beginning to blend together. She realized now why in the stories she read that traveling time was usually something the author skipped. Nothing of true relevance seemed to happen during those days and repeating the same sentence that they rode on and on seemed rather petty no matter how true it might be. Sure, there had been a few good conversations and small talk but everyone seemed to be weary of traveling…and more importantly they were beginning to tire of Naoko—as much as she hated to admit it.

Naoko, like most situations, realized quite early on whether or not she liked something. Traveling by horseback and sleeping outdoors had apparently fallen under the dislike category. She had made sure everyone knew it. Nyoko idly mused whether or not Naoko realized just how like their mother that made her. She seemed to understand quite clearly now why her parent's patience with Naoko was wearing thin over the move. Naoko enjoyed complaining…just a tad bit too much. The sooner they reached the top of this blasted mountain the better.

Nyoko shook her head. Usually her thoughts weren't so narrowed and under normal circumstances she could handle whatever her sister dished out. After all, it was usually her job to take care of her. Plus, she had been doing this for seventeen years! What was the difference now? The sleepless nights and taxing days were apparently finally beginning to take their toll. The revelation made Nyoko feel uneasy.

"Nyoko?" A calmer, concerned voice asked from behind her.

With a start Nyoko realized that her feelings must have been evident on her face. Shaking her head to focus back on the present Nyoko turned to face the man who had addressed her. Kano was glancing at her with genuine concern. He seemed to do that a lot lately—more so than she would like to admit. When he thought she wasn't watching he would study her, as if watching someone who was trying to recover and at any moment they were going to relapse.

Despite that though, Kano, unlike Naoko, had been a marvelous traveling companion. He was light hearted and seemed to enjoy finding trivial things for the two of them to talk about. There was also this odd way that he seemed to find topics that all of them could discuss when they were camped. It was when he started conversations that everyone else joined in and seemed to lighten up a little. It was nice having him around—he kept her mind busy on other tasks which she was more grateful for than he would probably ever know.

Realizing she had still yet to answer Nyoko flashed him a perfectly practiced smile, "Yes?" She asked as if she thought he was requesting something of her. In the meantime she was beginning to untie the blankets she had previously purchased along with a sleeping mat. It had become habit, this ritual of assignments they were all in charge of.

Kano's eyes studied her for a minute obviously he wasn't completely convinced with her nonchalant demeanor. He came to stand by her, untying his own utensils and grabbing the empty water canteens. One of his particular jobs was to refill the water—which could sometimes take quite some time if the river wasn't close. The fact that the water wasn't filtered made Nyoko uneasy and she was grateful that the canteens weren't see through to see just how _clear_ the water might really be. "Are you alright?" Kano asked this softly, more for her hearing than the others.

There was a tug at her heart. Nyoko hated to lie to him, especially when he was so genuinely worried. "Of course." She said this with a soft smile; yet immediately afterwards she returned her attention to someone else. She just couldn't stand to feel the things he made her feel. So she turned to her sister for help, she needed a distraction. "Nai. Come help me with the beds please."

Naoko shot her sister a pointed glare. "Are you kidding me? I have to gather firewood remember? I have my own job." Naoko huffed tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Most of her hair had fallen loose from the ponytail she had tried to put it in that morning so most of her dark red hair framed her face loosely. Naoko walked the distance between them just as Kano moved on and headed deeper into the woods in the direction of the sound of running water. Naoko barely caught it, but she thought she had seen the young man _glaring_ at her_._

Her sister gave her a pleading look turning her attention elsewhere, "Okay…how about this. I'll trade you jobs tonight. I'll get the firewood if you set up the beds and make the ring for the fire pit." Naoko looked doubtful, "Please Nai."

"Why do you want to change jobs anyways?" Naoko asked clearly not about to give in. She once again stubbornly tried to brush a strand of fallen hair behind her ear. It was usually amusing to Nyoko—it just showed how stubborn her sister could be. No matter how many times Nyoko told Naoko that her hair wasn't long enough to tuck behind her ear Naoko would repeatedly try to force it to anyway. Yet, even this small habit didn't seem to lighten her mood.

For a moment Naoko thought a look of impatience crossed her sister's face but just like every other emotion Nyoko swallowed it. It was hard to even tell for sure if Naoko had seen it or not now. "I just need some space to breathe…and you know how they are about us going off alone. Please I just need some quiet time…"

Rolling her eyes Naoko gave her twin a sidelong glance. It was odd for her sister to want to shake up a routine—Nyoko may have been better with accepting change but she had never really been one to instigate it; although Nyoko's reason for wanting this change did seem rather logical. Naoko knew all too well how introverted her sister was. Nyoko never was one for group projects or anything that required her to remain with lots of people for a long time—she preferred solitary activities. Surely her sister was going insane being cooped up with this many people for so long—and she didn't even have a book to read!

"Nai?" Nyoko repeated again in a pleading manner.

With a sigh Naoko nodded her head indicating her answer before she spoke it, "Just today okay? But you're gonna have to tell me what I'm supposed to do again."

Nyoko grinned but Naoko pretended not to notice, "Just pick the flattest part of the land you can find. Move the rocks and lay the bedding out—mat first then blankets. The rocks you moved can also be used to make the fire pit ring, you know like the ones we used to make when we went camping?"

"We only went _real _camping once." Naoko scoffed, "But, ya, I'm pretty sure I can handle it." She then eyed her sister warily, "Make sure you bring enough wood to last all night—otherwise we'll freeze and I'm sure fang boy will be quick to blame me for it."

"You mean Tasuki?" Nyoko asked with an amused smirk as she glanced over at the fiery haired companion.

Again Naoko's answer was a scoff, "How someone as stubborn and idiotic as him saved the world is still impossible for me to grasp." Nyoko shot her sister a glare but decided that not speaking was perhaps the best course of action. Especially, after all, if she really wanted time to spend alone in silence she wasn't going to give Naoko a reason to change her mind. Naoko, apparently unaware of or ignoring the glare, then hauled the bedding off the horse and began to march off in search of a flat piece of land, committing Nyoko to her resigned decision of remaining silent.

Naoko kicked a few rocks absent mindedly, fascinated yet annoyed with how her shoes were beginning to dirty. Annoyed, because she knew they were her only pair, and yet fascinated because despite how simple they looked they handled the elements rather well. "W'at is yer problem?" Came the accustomed accented remark.

"I don't have one." Was Naoko's brilliant reply, she then turned to face the man and placed one hand on her hip in a challenging manner. "I'm sure you're going to enlighten me though."

Tasuki scowled at her, obviously only realizing that the comment was an insult and not completely aware of how yet. "Ya sure do talk funny." Tasuki said shaking his head as if giving up. He assisted her in her troubles by kicking another rock out of the area she was clearing, "You've been scowlin' ever since we left—I'm beginn' to think yer face is stuck that way."

At this comment he received another glare, not that he noticed because he wasn't looking at her. Naoko dropped her cargo unceremoniously to the ground in a heap. "I just want to go home." It was an honest statement. She wanted to go back to jeans, to music, a comfy bed, air conditioning, and a place where things like this remained in fairy tale books. Naoko quite frankly had had enough of the supernatural.

A little bit more than startled Tasuki glanced back at her with narrowed eyes. If it wasn't for Chichiri he never would have signed up for this insane mission. The two girls that apparently came from Miaka's world were beginning to be quite a pain. One was so quiet he wondered if she had gone mute, and the way she seemed to always be thinking made _his_ head hurt. Then there was this one: the feisty, hot headed, stubborn, swearing girl that seemed to find no respect in anything. Not his country, not his religion, surely not the Suzaku no Miko or her seishi's…hell what _did_ she respect?

Naoko seemed to have caught his aggravated expression and it wasn't hard to guess at why he was looking at her that way. Yet Naoko made no move to apologize. They were in a book for crying out loud. He was a fictional character. Why should she care if he was angry? Glancing at the things she had carried she roughly tugged on the rolled up sleeping mat freeing it from the pile. Kneeling down she began to fumble with the knots that tied it in its rolled up position. Naoko was conscious of the feeling that she was being watched so she glanced up at Tasuki in irritation, "Fang boy are you just going to sit there? Don't you have a job to do?"

Tasuki scoffed, the same answer she had been giving Nyoko not even ten minutes ago. "I am."

"Oh really?"

"Ya."

Naoko growled her irritation with the man in front of her coming to a peak along with her frustration with being unable to untie the damn knots on the mat. "And what might that be? Disturbing the peace?" Her tone was dripping with sarcasm and she had taken no precautions to hide the anger in her words.

"I think yer doin' that all on yer own." Was the bitter reply.

"What?!"

"We didn't ask for ya to come here ya know!" Tasuki barked throwing his arms up in the air.

"Well I didn't want to come either!"

"But ya did! Do ya know what yer presence here means?! It means yer ruinin' all the peace we worked so hard ta get! Some of us _died_ for t'at! And wit' yer attitude I ain't so keen on protectin' ya!"

"Protecting me?!"

"Stop." Came the formal velvet voice of a third intruder. Both red heads glanced up to see the cerulean haired Suzaku Seishi. "There is no need to argue, no da." The casual ending seemed to come back to his speech now that both of them had stopped screaming at one another. "Tasuki we don't know why these girls are here…don't blame them for anything no da." Tasuki glared but didn't make any reproach to comment.

Naoko was expecting to receive a chastising too yet Chichiri said nothing to her. Perplexed Naoko looked at him hesitantly—surely he wasn't just saying that to make them stop fighting. She raised an eyebrow inquisitively yet his mask gave nothing away. It was perhaps his silence that unnerved her more than anything. Maybe he planned it that way? Instead she turned her attention back to the knots that were being just as stubborn as she was.

After a few moments of odd silence another hand brushed hers away. Having it so close for inspection Naoko could see the rich sun kissed skin pulled tight over calloused fingers—hands of a hard worker. With ease that made her blood boil the hot headed man undid the knot she was struggling with. "I didn't want ya to waste any more time." Tasuki answered in his still growling tone as he sat back folding his arms. His scowl revealed one of the two fang like teeth she had nicknamed him for. "I'd like a bed ta sleep on t'night."

Glaring at him Naoko shook her head, "Saves me the trouble of thanking you then." She said pushing on the mat so that it rolled out easily on its own across the incline of the land. She busied herself with this task of unrolling blankets while Tasuki leaned against a tree messing with that fan of his. The way his eyes seemed to be looking past it hinted that he was reflecting on older memories. So, she interrupted his thoughts, "You never did say what _your_ job was."

Amber eyes glanced from the fan up to her and suddenly even though he was only about a year older than her it looked as if he could have been ages older. It was as if he could pierce right through her. "My job hasn't changed much since you women started fallin' from different worlds."

"That's a vague answer." Naoko replied with a huff fixing the edge of a blanket.

Rolling his eyes Tasuki replied, "I protect ya. It is part a my job as a Seishi."

Intrigued Naoko rose an eyebrow, "Well, I'm not some Miko and I don't plan to be one. I don't think you're Seishi abilities cover me if you don't want them to."

"Yer in Konan—Konan is my country and I protect the people in it." Tasuki answered unenthusiastically, "No matter how dimwitted and annoyin' certain visitors within it may be."

"Hey!" Naoko bantered with him making sure he was looking at her this time when she met him with a level glare. Yet she lost her train of thought when she realized the blue haired Seishi that had stopped them before had disappeared again already. Instead she mimicked Nyoko and tilted her head to the side in confusion, "Where did he go off to?"

"Oh ya, ya probably never notice he ain't around much when we make camp." Tasuki said nonchalantly and apparently not too concerned with his disappearance. To save her from asking more questions he answered, "He sets up barriers, ya know? To keep us safe at night an' all."

"Barriers?" Naoko asked incredulously.

Tasuki sighed with impatience, "It's like my fan an' ta fire. I can't explain it to ya. It's just how it is."

"That's how everything in this world is." Naoko said with another aggravated sigh. "Things are the way they are _just because_. Doesn't anyone ever ask _why_?" She cast her eyes up to the sky beginning to note how dark it was already beginning to get. If Nyoko didn't hurry up they were going to be scrambling around in the dark. Then she turned to Tasuki and rolled a rock towards him smacking him in the foot, "Make yourself useful and help me." She said with an un-lady like scoff as she began to assemble the rocks in a circle.

"I don't wanna help you." Tasuki growled glaring at her and then eyeing the rock against his boot as if it too had conspired against him.

"It wasn't a request." Naoko countered.

"Is t'at so? What makes ya think I'll listen to ya anyways?"

"Just help me make the damn fire pit or when Nyoko gets back with that wood she won't have anywhere to put it and we'll be stuck in the dark."

"Well if she don't hurry up we're gonna be in the dark an'ways."

"Naoko-san?" A new voice asked perplexed. Glancing away from the fire haired man she had been bantering with she looked up to see Kano accompanied by the water flasks that were still dripping with a few droplets of water from recently filling them. He glanced from her to the beds and then to the half assembled ring of a fire pit. "I thought you gathered wood?"

"Is that your way of asking me where Nyoko is?" Naoko asked impatiently. "Geeze and you men say we aren't direct." With this comment Naoko gave what had to be now her trademarked eye roll. "She asked me to change jobs for the night. I know you don't know her like I do but Nyoko doesn't do well with groups and people always hovering over her shoulder."

If her words had affected Kano the reaction was missed by the ascending darkness. "Well, either way…shouldn't she be back by now? Liking groups or not she can't want to be out in the woods in the dark by herself."

With a snicker Naoko replied, "Women don't really have personnel space in your world do they? Actually she does stuff like this a lot. In our world she hardly talks to anyone but me. Silence is her constant companion if you know what I mean." Yet she shook her head, "I see what you mean though. Don't worry. If there's anything I know Nyoko definitely knows how to handle herself and she'll come back on her own. She isn't as frail and weak as you think she is."

At this point Chichiri returned to the small campground. "Why isn't the fire lit no da?" He glanced around the circle in confusion.

"Cause fire girl ain't back yet." Tasuki replied teasingly.

Chichiri's eyes flickered over to Naoko. Naoko absently wondered how she knew these things about Chichiri considering he wore a mask but she brushed the thought aside, "Okay. I'm only saying this one more time because I _hate_ repeating myself." Naoko grumbled. "For the final time…Nyoko asked to trade jobs with me. She likes her alone time and you've all been crowding us lately. I think it got to her. She'll be back soon."

Chichiri seemed troubled, "But I did a perimeter check, no da. She wasn't out there."

"God forbid someone walks outside the perimeter." Naoko said clearly not concerned by his announcement.

Tasuki didn't join her in their normal teasing or fiery banter but instead said rather seriously, "I don't think she could've gotten _that_ far Nao-chan." Before anyone else could comment on the topic a chilling scream pierced the night air…just as the sun finally slipped behind the mountain leaving them cast in darkness with only eerie moonlight as a companion.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nyoko methodically picked up another piece of wood adding it to her already growing stack. She had tried to go as slow as possible, making up excuses for herself about how certain branches would burn longer and how some would be able to ignite faster. Yet, no matter what she told herself there was still a limit on how much she could carry and she was beginning to meet the quota.

Sighing she closed her eyes to enjoy the serenity of the mountain. It probably didn't look like much, it resembled the ones she had once camped in, yet to her it was beautiful and it relaxed her. The smell of the fresh thin air tinted with the hint of trees and the music the wind seemed to make as it crossed through the upper most branches was incredibly relaxing. The wind played with the free strands of her hair causing more strands to free themselves from her loose side braid that had been flung over one shoulder habitually.

Her chestnut eyes flickered up to the darkening sky. Nervously she bit her lip—she had been gone a rather long time. Longer than she intended and while she was not afraid of the dark she wasn't foolish enough to believe that navigating through the shrubbery would be an easy task when she couldn't see her own feet in front of her. Resolved to head back Nyoko turned to go towards the camp, thankful that she knew her directions or she probably would have been completely lost in the mirrored landscape about her.

Only, she didn't get as far as she had planned before something caused her footsteps to pause again. There was an audibly loud crack of a branch breaking and something in the pit of her stomach told her it had been done purposefully. Despite the uneasiness that was rising in her she tried to quell it with logic. Could it be Kano? He was out and about…but then again he was going for water. The sound of the river had died away awhile ago. She knew it wasn't Tasuki—he always stayed to watch camp with her while she made the beds. Chichiri though, well he was always out _securing the perimeter_ whatever that meant.

With this in mind she convinced herself to glance over her shoulder looking for Chichiri. Of course, much to her relief and anxiety, no one was there in the failing light. "Chichiri?" Nyoko asked tentatively. Her eyes darted around the scenery where more and more shadows were being created by the failing sun. Again Nyoko bit her bottom lip and decided to move on.

Once again, she didn't get far. Another loud audible and intentional twig snapping brought her to a standstill. Growing frustrated and un-amused by whoever was trying to play tricks on her she turned around to be confronted by the empty trees. "Stop it Nai." She said admonishingly realizing now it was probably her and Tasuki who were trying to have a good laugh. "This isn't funny anymore. If you really followed me all the way out here the least you could do is help carry some of this wood back."

"If you insist." Came a bubbly laughter of a female Nyoko didn't recognize. Before Nyoko even had time to contemplate what the woman, from some concealed spot, had said the wood in her arms lifted all on its own and floated in front of her. An irrepressible shiver raced all through Nyoko's veins and before she could stop herself she screamed stumbling backwards and tripping over a tree root which caused her to fall harshly onto the ground behind her. "Oh come on now." Cooed the women's voice, "You aren't really afraid of a little wood are you?"

The source of the voice revealed themselves ironically from before her instead of from behind like Nyoko had originally thought she heard the voice. The women that stood before her was a height of at least five seven, by far the tallest woman Nyoko had yet to see in this world. The woman could only be around nineteen but her body was highly curvy in a perfect desirable hour glass shape and the clothes she wore left nothing to the imagination. Long, silky black hair fell in large curls half way down her back and her complexion was flawless in a milky white color. The women took a few steps closer and bent down balancing herself on the balls of her feet. Now that she was closer Nyoko could see the milky green irises that she had never seen before on another person.

"You're the person causing so much fuss?" The women asked. Clearly it was a rhetorical question. From her expression it was quite apparent that she was disappointed. She shook her head though causing the ringlets to bounce slightly from the motion. "No matter." She said nonchalantly. "Orders are orders." She mused aloud.

Nyoko went to speak but before she could the women waved a finger in her face. "Nu-uh-uh, not yet." An impish grin spread across her face that showed she was quite enjoying the younger girl's predicament. "We don't want to ruin the game this quickly." Her giggle was much too bright and bubbly to match her surroundings and it left Nyoko feeling unnerved.

Despite the girl's words Nyoko went to speak but when she tried to no sound came out. Her tiny and frail hand flittered to her throat in shock. Her chestnut eyes wide with bewilderment.

The elder girl grinned just as another figure stepped out to reveal themselves. He was tall, taller than Tasuki even, at a height that had to be over six feet. Unlike the pale maiden before her this man was dark, like he had spent too much time in the sun. His hair though was the most peculiar thing. It was silver, not white, but a shimmering metallic that was pin straight and tied at the nape of his neck and flung over one shoulder. Nyoko would have to say that the two had the same length of hair. Comparing the two Nyoko could tell that even though the man was gorgeous, and had rather feminine qualities, he was indeed older than his companion. Even just standing there Nyoko could feel the cold detachment that his presence presented.

Nyoko's eyes snapped back to the girl as she spoke again in that happy tone, "Alright, now you just wait here and hopefully someone will find you eventually." Nyoko's eyes widened in alarm but before she could say anything the tree root she had tripped over raised off the ground, wrapped itself around her ankle and pulled her into the soft earth up to her shoulders. "Now you stay put." The girl grinned as if she actually found the joke amusing. She rose to her feet, nodded to her companion…and then they left her there with the previously floating wood dropping all around her as the girl disappeared.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Naoko was scrambling to her feet. Her eyes were wide with worry and shock. It seemed as if she were about to bound off in the direction of the scream but a heavy and reassuring hand fell on her shoulder, holding her back. Naoko in her haste glared at its owner but this time the anger wasn't as apparent, "I thought you said you were _protecting _us!" She turned to Chichiri next with a pleading gaze, "You even said you did a perimeter check and set up barriers so nothing could happen to us!"

"Nao-chan you need to calm down." Tasuki said in an uncharacteristically serious voice. "You don't know that anythin' has happened to t'at sister of yers. She coulda just tripped for all we know. So don't panic till we find out more."

Chichiri looked as if he were about to say something but whatever words he was going to say died on his lips as something else spoke. It was Nyoko, she was pleading—screaming as if she were being brutally tortured; only it was impossible. Her voice was coming from everywhere all at once. Naoko had to cover her ears, the sound so terrifying and surreal that it was going to drive her insane. She felt Tasuki's hand tighten on her shoulder and she visibly saw the other two men stiffen.

"Someone as important as her shouldn't have been so neglected." A bubbly voice said. "Being Seishi I really expected more from you—I mean do you even know how important that girl is?" Suddenly laughter interrupted the sentence before she finished, "Oops…maybe I should be saying _was_."

"Show yerself and we'll show ya why we're Seishi." Tasuki growled loudly in almost a predatory way.

Nyoko's screams ended and turned into low sobs. Her cries were echoing off the trees. Naoko watched Chichiri grip the staff he carried so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. "Where is she?" His voice was calm and even though he had asked it wasn't much of a question but a demand.

"Let's make it a game shall we?" The bubbly voice asked once again. Her cheerfulness was almost eerie. She didn't wait for a response, "If you can find her…you can have her—whatever is left of her anyway."

"Tasuki you take Naoko and go east. I'll go west. Kano you try and look north." Chichiri ordered briskly, "Be careful." With that Chichiri didn't wait around to see if anyone was listening to his orders. Instead he dashed off in his direction.

"Let's go Nao-chan." Tasuki said leading the way. Nyoko's sobs turned into words again and they echoed around them.

"I'm here! _Help me!_ God Naoko where _are_ you?!" Nyoko's pleading was heart wrenching but the fact that it came from everywhere was sending chills down Naoko's spine.

"Nie! Just…_talk _to me!" Naoko pleaded tears prickling at her own eyes. There was a cacophony of Nyoko's voice in response to Naoko's outburst and Tasuki shook his head at her.

"Sorry Nao-chan but talking to her, or whatever it is, isn't helping. Ignore it." Tasuki said this calmly his amber eyes flickering across the poorly lit mountain for the other red head.

"How can I ignore her?!" Naoko asked appalled the color draining from her face. "She's my _sister_!" Her chestnut eyes glanced around anxiously, "Nie! Where are you?!"

"Nao-chan all those voices aren't yer sister. T'at's just not possible. 'Sides…yer sister doesn't take to talkin' much. Ya really think she gonna make this much noise?"

Naoko looked at him anxiously and doubtful. She wanted to believe his words but it was so hard…her sister was calling for her. How could she ignore something like that? At length she finally shook her head, determination in her eyes, "You're right."

"I usually am." Tasuki grinned, a fang tooth poking out.

Ignoring his playful comment Naoko changed directions, "My sister doesn't scream like this…not even when she broke her arm. Her tears were silent." Naoko mused aloud. "So we go the direction that the voices _aren't_ in."

"Shit. Ain't that sort of backwards?"

"You're the one that gave me the idea!"

"Okay. Okay, follow ta silence—sheesh." They didn't get far. Not much farther in the direction they were heading tree branches began to sway and come at them. "Well I guess we're goin' ta right way." Tasuki chuckled using the steel fan to block an onslaught of the tree coming at them.

"What?!" Naoko asked alarmed now suddenly hiding behind him. "God, you're world is _so_ messed up! Why are the trees attacking us!?"

"If we weren't goin' ta right way everythin' woulda left us alone. It gets harder when ya get closer to yer goals." Tasuki said rather philosophically as he pushed their way farther in their intended direction.

Suddenly they came across more of an open clearing. Naoko let out a small scream of surprise as she saw Nyoko's body lodged deep in the earth. What was even more alarming was the fact that her eyes were closed. "Oh my god. Nyoko?!" She said dashing away from Tasuki's protection and towards her sister.

"What do you plan on doing little one?" The bubbly voice asked now emerging into the clearing. Her eyes were narrow as she looked at the new twin. "Your sister suffers in silence and you do _nothing_." This black haired girl said in a more level tone.

They were interrupted as Tasuki lunged for the new intruder. With a flick of her hand the fan Tasuki was holding was yanked from his grip and floated just out of his reach. Her eyes glared at him. "You're interrupting. Stop now and I might leave you be." She threatened. Her attention turned back to the girl as if she hadn't been interupted, "When she cried out for you it was the first time you seemed to think of someone _other_ than yourself. Why should she have to say it to get your attention?"

Again Tasuki lunged at them this time the fan was dropped but the girl held her hand out freezing Tasuki in his mid-step. "I'm not finished Suzaku Seishi Tasuki. You should know it's rude to interrupt people."

"And what is it that yer doin' that's so damn proper?!" Tasuki yelled clearly struggling to move.

"You speak to me as if I'm the villain. Yet I have more right to this girl than you do. She is _not_ yours." The girl said briskly and in a level tone. Tasuki seemed to pale at this but the girl took no heed to it. "Naoko Okayame you have ignored your sister's pain for quite long enough. You're paying the price of it now."

"You killed her?!" Naoko let out a choked sob as she collapsed by her sister. She began desperately trying to dig Nyoko out of the ground. "No, no, no, no! Nyoko come on wake up!"

"She is not dead you fool." The girl glared. "Do you really think I would kill the person I am in charge of?" This was a rhetorical question and she gave no further explanation to her words. "She merely passed out from lack of breath. The earth is quite crushing." With that the model like women turned to look at Tasuki. "If you behave yourself I'll free her. I can only do one at a time so if you're thinking of doing something stupid I highly suggest you reconsider. I have no problem waiting all night and letting her remain in the cold earth permanently if you can't control yourself."

Naoko's eyes beseeched the other red head, "Tasuki _please_!"

"Alright!" Tasuki yelled. "Just get her the hell out of the ground!" With that he was released and discarded easily to the ground like a forgotten toy. The girl's power now pulled the young girl out of the ground laying her gently on the fast cooling earth.

Unexpectedly there was a sudden clanging of swords from behind her. Kano, who had followed the voices of the conversation, had come up to slash the woman from behind. Yet another blade met his and it wasn't from the women. Instead it was from a man with glistening silver hair and his golden eyes were narrowed threateningly.

As if there wasn't enough tension in the air it was at this moment that Chichiri stumbled upon the group too his gaze shifting frantically to all the occupants. Before he could ask what was going on a loud booming voice echoed, "That is quite enough." Then, their gaze was overpowered by a flash of white light.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When the white light faded they were no longer surrounded in darkness and woods but inside what appeared to be an extravagant palace. The band of people all looked a little unnerved by the sudden transportation but no one seemed to voice their opinion. The only sound was the swishing of blades as the golden eyed warrior shoved Kano away putting quite some distance between his companion and her would be attacker.

"It took you long enough to get here." Came the voice they heard before disappearing. Naoko glanced up now able to put a face with the voice. She visibly blanched at the floating, aged woman before her. Such people had usually been lain to rest before they had ever reached such a decomposed state. It was almost as eerie as seeing a floating corpse. The only difference was thankfully this woman still had color. "Get a grip on yourself Okayame-san." The elder woman chastised.

"Tai Yi Jun, I thought so…" Chichiri trailed off as Tasuki interrupted them.

"You?! W'at are ya makin' small talk for?! Look at t'ose two! T'ey nearly killed a girl and yer just _floatin'_ t'ere like everythin' is fine an' dandy!" Tasuki's glower was hard to miss as he changed his gaze over to the other two less welcome occupants.

The old oracle snorted returning the glower to the red flamed man, "You should have left him behind Chichiri." She said this absentmindedly and the man in question shook with fury. She then answered the round about question Tasuki had presented, "They are not enemies to you."

Kano looked uncertain of this fact and looked to the two wearily, "Then why did you attack us?"

The girl he was gazing at flipped her hair over her shoulder and then folded her arms nonchalantly, "We were only following orders."

"And you did well." Tai Yi Jun acknowledged causing the girl to grin.

"I don't understand no da." Chichiri said shaking his head. "You sent people to attack us?"

Again the oracle snorted, "You should know I was testing the girl's heart. You yourself said you wouldn't teleport them straight here because that is not how things are done."

"Tested her heart?! You damn near well stopped it from beating!" Naoko yelled tears bristling on the edge of her eyes.

"Your sister was not the one whose heart needed testing." Tai Yi Jun answered harshly. This caused Naoko to falter over her words as she glanced at the overly aged woman in complete confusion.

"But…I…You said…"

"You're selfish Naoko Okayame." Tai Yi Jun said bitterly. "You hold nothing in this world of value. Not one's feelings or even their lives. To you this is no more than a drawn out nuisance." Her gaze was fixed angrily on the younger woman and her harsh words didn't end there, "Even after you heard the tale of the Suzaku no Miko you have no respect for her or the people who died and served their country. This is why _you_ were tested."

"But it's…not real…it's all a book…" Naoko whispered meekly and obviously no longer as sure in that belief as she had once been.

"Does it look real to you Okayame-san? Putting your sister in danger does it seem real _now_?" Tai Yi Jun barked.

Naoko's eyes flitted to her sister's form, which she was holding, in despair. "You hurt her because of me?" Naoko asked choking on a sob.

"She is the only thing you value in this world or the other—and even her you ignore as much as you can." Tai Yi Jun explained. "I didn't want to but it was necessary for you to come to this realization."

Chichiri looked hesitant at this and seemed to speak up, distracting Tai Yi Jun's wrath from the smaller girl. "So there is a reason they are here, no da." He asked this cautiously and he sighed as if his heart was heavy.

"Yes Chichiri-sama, It is as you feared." Tai Yi Jun answered the calm demeanor returning to her crippled form. "Though not as hopeless as your thoughts have turned." She offered as if it would lighten her student's spirit.

Amber eyes had flickered to the two red headed girls in concern but soon afterwards Tasuki pulled his unwilling eyes back to Tai Yi Jun, "I'm not followin' ya."

"Of course you're not." Tai Yi Jun scoffed. Though after her jibe she continued on freely to answer him anyway, "They are meant to be here. They are _not_ however, Mikos and they will not be summoning any of the four gods."

"What…are they here for then?" Chichiri asked though by his tone it seemed he was afraid of the answer.

"What other world girl's are usually here for," Tai Yi Jun paused, "to bring peace."

"T'ere's already peace." Tasuki scowled. "So send 'em home. T'is is obviously some sort a mistake."

Tai Yi Jun glared at the man but this time didn't answer him, "I will explain everything later. As for now though Nyoko could use a bed to lay in instead of the tiled floor."

Naoko nodded her head and she looked down at her sister anxiously. It was clear on where to take her sister was a mystery to her—let alone how she was going to move her was another question within itself. Before she had to ask though, someone stepped in to save her from any more humiliation. Kano's chocolate eyes looked at the first twin as if she was close to snapping, which was probably true.

"I can carry her." Kano whispered reassuringly kneeling down next to the twins. Naoko's bright chestnut eyes flashed back and forth between the man offering to help and the girl who she was holding as if she might vanish from her very arms. With extreme hesitation Naoko finally nodded her head relinquishing her tight hold. Kano nodded his head too, in assurance before his arms slipped under Nyoko's frail form and gently lifted her from the floor.

Chichiri's gaze flickered to the scene and more importantly what was lacking from it. He looked at Tai Yi Jun quizzically but she made no gesture or facial expression to indicate that she saw his concern. So instead Chichiri sighed and stepped up. "I can take you to where the rooms are located no da. She would probably be most comfortable in a bed. We haven't slept in one in awhile after all, no da."

The girl with the milky green eyes watched from a distance in quiet observation, "I can lead them. I'm sure you have a lot to catch up on with Tai Yi Jun, Suzaku Seishi Chichiri."

The cerulean haired man flashed his attention over to the girl who spoke. When he answered there was mistrust in his voice even though his expression couldn't be discerned from the mask, "Thank you for the offer no da." He shook his head, "But I am not so keen on entrusting you with the safety of my friends after our encounter—even if you were only following orders."

The girl sent him a rueful smile, "Sorry." She then shrugged, "You can't keep them away from us forever though Suzaku Seishi."

"Hold your tongue Nami." Tai Yi Jun ordered.

The ebony haired girl, Nami, shrugged once again as if it didn't mean much. "As you wish. Come on." She gestured with her head towards the man who was standing beside her. He didn't answer her yet when she made to leave the room he silently followed after her.

Tasuki looked at the elder oracle questioningly, "You gonna explain that?"

"I've already answered that question." She bit back.

Shaking his head Chichiri walked towards the twins and Kano. "We should all rest for the night. Tai Yi Jun has already said that tomorrow she will explain everything no da. Come on Tasuki." Tasuki flashed the oracle another grimace before giving in and following his Seishi brother to the rooms.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Nyoko stirred to consciousness her heavy chestnut eyes fluttered open to look at the palace room she was in. Confusion flickered across her face for a moment as she tried to remember ever being in such a place. She dragged her hand across the silk sheets to rub at her tired eyes but instead gazed at her bruised wrist.

"I fell." Nyoko whispered to herself as the images came back to her slowly. Now her eyes looked at the room in more interest than before. She distinctly remembered being outside, in the woods. There had been that girl, the model like one, who had made the tree drag her into the earth. Her last thoughts were ones of confusion, it had been so very hard to breathe…and she couldn't speak. At that realization she remembered the man with the golden eyes and shivered.

Being delicate of her wrist and aching muscles she sat up in bed. As she pulled the sheets someone murmured in protest and Nyoko finally realized that she wasn't alone. Startled her gaze flashed over to the other occupant laying in the large bed beside her. Naoko, seeming disturbed by the lack of blankets, hadn't seemed to care enough to wake up.

"So Naoko and I are here…but where is that exactly?" Nyoko mused quietly, secretly relieved that her sister was safe and not still out in the woods alone. Resolved to find the answer Nyoko pulled herself out of bed and looked down at her clothes with a grimace. She was filthy, she had no idea what her hair must have looked like as well. Undoing what was left of her braid she pulled the wavy hair back into a ponytail as she walked across the room to the door.

As she stepped outside Nyoko couldn't help but gasp quietly at what greeted her eyes. It was magnificently beautiful and Nyoko was distinctly aware of the fact that it was cooler than it had been in the Konan palace. Her mind remembered the mountains from before and she discerned that they must have been at the top now—which would explain the cold air and altitude.

"One of you finally emerges." A familiar voice chuckled. A chill raced through Nyoko's veins as she turned to face the speaker. There stood the model woman from before her curls framing her face prettily and contrasting sharply with her new outfit a deep shade of red. The girl laughed, "You look stricken. You're perfectly safe with me." She giggled moving to sit on the railing. Her feet dangled childishly as she waited for Nyoko to reply.

Nyoko clearly looked uncertain, "I don't think I understand."

"That I can believe." The girl grinned with a wink. She then continued on, "Don't worry though it will all be explained today. I'm sure you'd like to change though. Those clothes look shot." She then gave a lopsided smile, "That's my fault I suppose. My apologies."

Warily Nyoko looked the girl over, "You said I'm safe with you…you pulled me into the ground." Then shaking her head Nyoko asked, "How did you do that?"

The girl's green eyes twinkled mischievously, "That's my talent."

"Controlling plants?" Nyoko asked in disbelief.

At this her companion laughed that cheerful tone that Nyoko remembered hearing in the woods, "No. Not plants."

"Then how did you do that?"

"My power is telekinesis."

"Really? People can do stuff like that in this world?"

"Only the chosen ones. You should know this by now though—you do know the legend of Suzaku after all."

"So you're a Suzaku Seishi too? That's not possible. Chichiri said--"

"That the others are dead?" The girl cut in flatly. "He's right. I am not a Suzaku Seishi." By the girl's confused expression she finished. "It will be explained later. By the way I think we got off to the wrong start." Again she laughed, "My name is Nami Himura."

Nyoko tried to relax. The girl had said she was trustworthy…and people in this world were pretty big on honor it seemed. When she glanced at the girl, who was only a few years older than her, Nyoko realized that Nami was much more than just a pretty face. The happiness that was expressed through her unnatural colored eyes was completely genuine. That had to count for something, right? Either way, Nami had introduced herself and Nyoko reluctantly admitted it would be rude to ignore her.

"I'm Nyoko Okayame."

"I know very well who you are Ny-chan." Nami smiled with a twinkle in her eye.

"So you say. Though I suppose you don't just attack random strangers traveling through the woods do you?"

"How very perceptive Ny-chan. I think I was wrong in my first observation of you."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, your sister on the other hand…is she always so emotional?" At this Nami seemed to scrunch her nose as if looking upset at the idea.

"Naoko has always been rather forward about her feelings." Nyoko answered evasively.

Again Nami laughed, it seemed to be a habit of hers, "So I see. And you're the opposite. Much like my oni-chan. Perhaps that's why I like you better." Nami seemed to be peculiarly speaking to Nyoko and musing aloud to herself at the same time.

Nyoko, feeling confused on whether or not she was being addressed, looked even more confused on what the girl had meant. She then stumbled over the foreign word as she tried to repeat it, "Oni-chan?"

"Ah, you're Chinese is a little off I see." Nami giggled. "Oni-chan, it's another way of saying brother."

Just as Nyoko was nodding her head in understanding the door from the room she had emerged opened again and Naoko stumbled out, "You have a _terrible_ habit of waking me up lately." Naoko growled. Despite her foul morning mood Naoko couldn't help but grin at her sister anyway, "I'm glad you're here to do it though."

Nyoko's eyebrows knitted together as she tried to understand what her sister had meant. Nami spoke up instead though, "Ah so the emotional one is not a morning person. Doesn't surprise me." She laughed again before saying, "I'm glad my little show finally taught you something."

As if now just noticing that they weren't alone Naoko bristled at the other girl's words and glared, "_You?!_ How dare you show your miserable face around here! If you're here to hurt my sister again I'll—"

"You'll?" Nami politely interjected with a hint of amusement. "I'm not so sure you'll do anything Naoko-san." Nami shrugged then nonchalantly. "You hold no interest of mine. You're far too predictable. Ny-chan here however is excellent company—and if it makes you feel better nothing will hurt your sister whilst in my company."

"How can I trust you?!" Naoko spluttered rage shaking her frail frame.

"Because these are my orders Naoko-san." Nami said in a much more serious voice. She spread her hands in front of her as if surrendering, "To protect the two of you and my orders rank first and foremost in my priorities."

Nyoko was watching in quiet amusement at the two of them bicker. Yet she couldn't help but notice that the girl didn't use an affectionate nickname for her sister like she had her. Before she could ask such a question however Nami addressed the both of them.

"I'm sure you have much more important questions that need answering however and I'm more than happy to oblige." Nami said with a smirk, "However I don't think you want to present yourself in front of Tai Yi Jun like this." Her eyes flickered to their bedraggled clothing causing both girls to flush. "Follow me and I'll take you somewhere to become more decent. Then you shall have all your answers." And it was with that their new found guardian led them off deeper into the heavenly palace.

* * *

Hello everyone! I'm sorry that the updating is rather sporadic. These last two weeks were hectic with final projects and then of course the finals themselves. Not to mention I'm graduating next week. (Yay!) So I've sort of been writing off and on. Hopefully with summer here I'll get more of a routine down. =D

So what did you think? Lot's more action in this chapter! Wohoo! And, all of your questions will be addressed next chapter with Tai Yi Jun! Yay! Haha, okay so perhaps not all, I mean where would the fun be in that? Although you will find out why they're here. Not to mention you're going to learn more about Nami and her strange golden eyed companion. Are they trust worthy? Hehe.

There wasn't too much romance in this chapter. Though Naoko and Tasuki had an interesting fight. Haha, there will be more of those, as I'm sure you've guessed. Now about Naoko being the only one whose heart needed testing. I don't mean to make it seem like I'm playing favorites. I like Naoko and Nyoko both equally but Nyoko's personality and nature just subjects her to accept change much more easily then her sister who would pout and deny it for as long as she could. Naoko needed this, as I'm sure you could tell by her foul temper this chapter. They're opposites (wink) and so I had them each react differently. It makes them feel more real in this sense. Besides, does it really seem likely that everyone the book selects is just happy go lucky and willing to take on the world? I'm sure there are at least a few people out there who would have pouted about it like Naoko did.

Alright well that's all for now I suppose. =D I hope you guys enjoyed reading it! Please review! I really enjoy getting feedback. Also let me know if you would be interested in having character profiles. I was thinking of putting some on my profile page but I wasnt going to bother if no one wants them. Haha. Until next time!

Thanks for reading!

-Miracle


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